2019 - 'My Invisible MS' theme

This Year's 'World MS Day' Media Coverage included:

The power of positivity: Tim Ferguson on the election result and life with MS

Tim Ferguson feature article by WA Today's Cameron Myles: https://bit.ly/2Z3DGs9

“I have multiple sclerosis and I don’t think I’ll make it the whole way standing.”

Thoughtful piece with some great advice from Catherine Brooks, on #MS, parenting & working, for MumsAtTheTable: https://bit.ly/2HLm5Q5

Tim Ferguson on Channel 7's Morning Show

The irrepressible Comedian, writer, educator and Doug Anthony Allstar, Tim Ferguson interview with Channel 7 Morning Show's Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur: https://bit.ly/2YTb6cY

Andrew Giles and Deidre Mackechnie on IndiaLink Radio

Andrew Giles, National Policy Officer, and Deidre Mackechnie, CEO interview with IndiaLink Radio's RJ Priyanka: https://bit.ly/2HJoGK6

Astrid Edwards and Deidre Mackechnie on ABC News Breakfast

National Advocate and writer, Astrid Edwards, along with MSA CEO, Deidre Mackechnie, speaks about Astrid's experiences living with MS with Virginia Trioli and Paul Kennedy on ABC News Breakfast: https://bit.ly/2Xe9k5L

Link e-newsletter lead story

Link, "Australia's National Disability News" feature on World MS Day: https://bit.ly/314PeNR

'Your life doesn't stop when you have MS'

Aussie Cricketer and #KissGoodbytoMS Ambassador, Jemma Barsby & MS Research Australia's Dr. Hamish Campbell interview with Today's Georgie Gardner: https://bit.ly/2VTPbAm

World MS Day sheds light on invisible symptoms #MyInvisibleMS

MS Ambassador, Stephen Papadopoulos interview with Neos Kosmos's Mary Sinanidis: https://bit.ly/2VUJBxQ

What no one else sees - The invisible side of living with Multiple Sclerosis

Astrid Edwards, National Advocate, writer & Lady with MS, interview with Roche: https://bit.ly/2WxQCce

Astrid Edwards World MS Day Interview

National Advocates Astrid Edwards interview with Female.com.au's Brooke Hunter: https://bit.ly/2VSaCCb

World MS Day focuses on changing the condition’s visibility

CEO of MS Australia Deidre Mackechnie interview with Talking Disability's Nicole Pope: https://bit.ly/2vm1WZJ

Knowledge is Power (pg. 10-11)

MSA National Advocacy Coordinator, Andrew Potter and wife, Jane Potter interview with Possible Magazine, carer magazine: https://bit.ly/2VWf6HI

Living With Multiple Sclerosis In A Post-Selma Blair World

National Advocates, Mike Welsh and Astrid Edwards, feature by 10Daily's Gillian Wolski: https://bit.ly/2CgVdnT

World MS Day 2019 on Thursday 30 May is an annual global day to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis (MS) and the needs of people living with the condition.

This year’s theme, Visibility aims to (both) spotlight the invisible symptoms of MS (#MyInvisibleMS) and their unseen impact on quality of life; and increase the visibility of MS.

These invisible symptoms will be familiar to many people affected by MS. They include pain, fatigue, visual problems, numbness/tingling, feeling hot and cold, brain fog (cognitive difficulties), depression, continence problems and balance issues/dizziness.

People with MS often hear, “but you look so well!” when in reality, they are experiencing severe invisible or hidden symptoms.

How can you get involved?

Help us get the hashtag #MyInvisibleMS trending on Twitter!
Share one of our Facebook posts: https://www.facebook.com/MSAustralia/
Share one of our tweets on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MS_Australia
Make your own poster or graphic here to share on social media:
https://worldmsday.org/poster-maker-gallery/

Hold or attend an event, you can find out from your state org:
MS Limited (VIC/NSW/ACT/TAS), MS Society SA/NT, MS Queensland, and MSWA. Or by visiting MSIF’s event map: https://worldmsday.org/events/

We are also very excited to be launching an invisible symptoms animation on the day, and would love your help sharing it with friends and family!

MSIF have released their WORLD MS DAY 2019 video and we are proud to announce that Ivan, a young man from Australia, has been included in this year's campaign.

Here is our 3-min video featuring Ivan talking about his MS journey and how symptoms affect his life:

And here is the MSIF official 2019 video, featuring six people from around the world who are living with MS:

Watch our social media pages for more news as the day approaches!

MSIF's New Poster Maker

You don’t have to see MS to believe it… Use this tool to create posters and graphics to shine a spotlight on MS. You can make a poster about invisible symptoms or you can create your own graphic to tell people what you want them to know about MS.

https://worldmsday.org/poster-maker-gallery/

Here is an example poster of Ivan, from Australia, who will also be featuring in the MSIF campaign this year.

World MS Day 2019 campaign announced!

Raising awareness of the invisible symptoms and unseen impact of MS.

World MS Day 2019 will take place on 30th May. The 2019 campaign will be called ‘My Invisible MS’ (#MyInvisibleMS) and the theme is Visibility.

My Invisible MS will raise awareness of the invisible symptoms of MS and the unseen impact of MS on quality of life.

The campaign will give a voice to everyone affected by MS to share their invisible MS symptoms and express what they want others to know and understand about MS to challenge common misconceptions and help people understand how to provide the right support.

There are many ways to get involved in World MS Day and use and adapt the My Invisible MS campaign. You can take part in the campaign online and on social media, hold an event to bring people together for World MS Day, lobby your decision makers to make positive changes for people affected by MS…there are so many possibilities!

We’ll be sharing more information and resources as World MS Day 2019 approaches. Watch this space!

The World MS Day 2019 Toolkit

Besides online and on social media, holding or attending events and lobbying politicians, you can become involved by sharing experiences of invisible symptoms, and using and sharing the World MS Day tools.

The Toolkit (available in English, Spanish, Arabic, French and Portuguese) is ideal for people running community events, with material to display on for example, noticeboards, and shareables for friends/colleagues/family and includes:

How to get involved guide
Myth and truth infographics
‘What I want you to know about MS…’ graphics
Invisible symptom posters and graphics
Headers, banners and shareables for social media and websites
Logos (World MS Day and #MyInvisibleMS graphics)

As mentioned above, the theme of this year’s campaign is visibility and the hashtag is #MyInvisibleMS. The toolkit materials are designed to help us all spotlight MS and the unseen impact of invisible symptoms this World MS Day.

As other tools are included we will add them here.

MS partner organisations

The state/territory MS organisations run various events in the lead up and on World MS Day itself. Please visit the links below and their social media channels for further details, updated once activities are confirmed.

MS Limited (VIC/NSW/ACT/TAS)
MS Society SA/NT
MS Queensland
MSWA

Additional activities may also be run by our research organisation, MS Research Australia.

Hashtags

#MyInvisibleMS (or #myinvisiblems)
#worldmsday (or #WorldMSDay)

Hashtags in other languages.

Spanish: #MiEMinvisible
Arabic: الوجه_الخفي_للتصلب_المتعدد#
French: #MaSEPinvisible
Portuguese: #MinhaEMinvisível

Facebook and Twitter

MS Australia on Facebook and Twitter @MSAustralia

MS International Federation on Facebook and Twitter @MSIntFederation