To celebrate World MS Day, MS Australia brought together the MS community for a special event at Government House, hosted by Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia.
The event marked the launch of Living Well with MS, a practical wellness guide to support the health and wellbeing of people living with MS.
The event began with the Governor-General welcoming guests to Government House and sharing her opening address for MS Australia’s World MS Day event.
MS Australia Chair George Pampacos reflected on the significance of World MS Day and the importance of coming together as a community.
“This day — and this event — speaks to the heart of who we are at MS Australia. We are a research and advocacy organisation, but above all, we are here to represent the MS community.
It’s wonderful to see so many parts of that community here today — people living with MS, carers and families, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and industry partners. These moments of coming together are incredibly valuable. Thank you all for being part of it.”
Dr Jo Gamble, lead author of Living Well with MS and Research Coordinator at MS Australia launched the new wellness guide and explained how this resource can lead to improved health outcomes for the MS community.
“Living well with MS brings together the best available evidence and translates it into something practical, encouraging, and easy to understand.”
Deanna Renee, artist and MS Australia Lived Experience Expert Panel (LEEP) member shared her diagnosis journey, her experience with seeking evidence based and MS-specific advice and the importance of Living well with MS for people who have been newly diagnosed and the broader MS community.
“I was diagnosed at 17. Everything felt uncertain, and the isolation and loneliness took a real toll on my mental health.
Being involved in creating a guide I would have welcomed as a teenager has meant a lot to me.”
The event was concluded with a guided seated yoga session lead by Karen Ivkovic, MS Plus yoga instructor.
MS Australia would like to formally thank Her Excellency for generously hosting our World MS Day event and for being a patron of MS Australia.
