‘Kiss Goodbye to MS’ campaign
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A 25-YEAR-OLD woman who has multiple sclerosis (MS) is speaking out about what it’s like to live with the chronic neurological condition, as part of MS Ireland’s month-long campaign to raise awareness of the condition and to raise funds for research and services.
In 2016 Jenny Mangan, a music teacher from Templeogue, was diagnosed with MS, a lifelong disease of the central nervous system that can cause reduced mobility and which affects the motor, sensory and cognitive ability of the body.
Jenny Mangan
The young woman started experiencing pain in mid-2016, which she initially attributed to being an active dancer but, as her symptoms gradually worsened, she ended up attending A&E which led to her diagnosis.
Jenny told The Echo: “I had a lot of pain from June 2016, but I had done a lot of shows that involved dancing so I thought that maybe I’d pulled a muscle.
“Then that August I went numb on my right side.
“Those were the first two symptoms that brought me to A&E.”
When Jenny was diagnosed with MS, she had some familiarity with the condition as a family friend had it, but she said it was still difficult to come to terms with.
“I only knew it as a disease that was quite debilitating,” explained Jenny.
“I thought it meant being in a wheelchair, or having to go into assisted living.
“I felt very hollow initially – I didn’t really know how to feel. There were a thousand emotions inside me.”
Jenny described the first year following her diagnosis as “very tough”, as she was prescribed steroids to try to help with her symptoms and she relapsed numerous times, with her worst relapse causing temporary numbness from the waist down.
“It’s had quite a big impact on my life,” she said. “I’m a very active person. I hiked a lot, I did hillwalking, I did dancing and musical theatre, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to do any of that since I was diagnosed.
“I can’t walk very far without pain starting.”
Jenny undertook a career change following her diagnosis, and discovered she had a passion for working with children – something she said she might not have found out if she hadn’t received her diagnosis.
“I started working with kids and teaching music. I find a lot of joy in that, and it’s a passion I wouldn’t have otherwise found.”
Now hoping to return to college to become a primary school teacher, Jenny is optimistic about her future and is hopeful that her condition won’t deteriorate any further.
“People are so understanding and very supportive,” she said, “but MS is very much an invisible disease.
“I can get up in the morning, put on my clothes and make-up and look absolutely fine, but if I have to approach someone and say I’m actually very ill and I’m in a lot of pain, it can be difficult because I look fine.
“I do have days where I worry about my future, but great strides have been made with MS medications and research. My hope is that I’ll remain as I am and that I don’t debilitate any further.”
MS Ireland is holding their annual ‘Kiss Goodbye to MS’ campaign throughout the month of May, where they are calling on individuals, workplaces and groups to participate in ‘Wear, Dare and Share’.
‘Wear, Dare and Share’ encourages people to wear red or hold a ‘red day’ at work, dare to get sponsored for an MS Ireland skydive or take part in the 9,000 Steps for MS event, and to share these events with friends and family to raise funds and raise awareness of MS.
For more information, visit the MS Ireland website HERE.
