Claires Camino is our Home to Home walk. Hearing Charlie Birds call for people to follow his lead and "do something" on April 2nd, a group of friends decided to show our support for another friend living with MS. We plan to walk the 32KM from Dunmoran Strand, Claire's current home, to Drumartin, her childhood home, and raise much-needed funds for the MS Northwest Therapy Centre in Sligo.

Here is some of Claires story in her own words:

At the age of 23, working in Sligo town, Friday evening and my sight started to bother me. I put drops in my eyes all weekend, thinking that would solve the problem. On monday, my Mother dropped me to work, and I told my office manager, "I think I need glasses, I am seeing double". I Rang 3 opticians, each one said the same thing, I needed to go to the hospital for tests. Another colleague, who happened to be a neighbour of the hospital optician, was able to make an appointment for me that day. After I felt my way into the optician's office, he arranged some fasting bloods, field tests etc. His report stated it was a medical issue and referred me to a consultant in the hospital. from there I was sent for scans, blood tests, MRI scans and finally, a lumbar puncture.

In the lead up to the lumbar puncture, my consultant warned me I would need 3 full weeks off work to recover from it, but with all the medical experience any 23 year old can have, I happily told work "I'll see ye next week", turns out my consultant was right, and I need every hour of the 3 weeks to get over the lumbar puncture.

Following on a Rebif Nurse contacted me on the phone; after introducing herself, she then enquired if I had applied for my "Long Term Illness Card"? I had to ask, "What is a long term illness card, and what do I need that for?"

A conversation with my consultant soon cleared this up when he confirmed for me that yes I have MS. The consultant was talking.....I have MS....the tears were silently falling down my face.....I did not hear much of the consultant's words....."don't worry, you will still have a full life"......I am now 24 years old, this is 9 weeks after my first symptom, double vision. I am 24, and I am wondering, "can I go out this weekend with my friends"?

Next for me was to start my "interfering injections". My nurse Yvonne was just fantastic. Patience in every explanation, no matter how many times I asked, or how many ways I asked the same question, her response was always informative, positive and supportive. Yvonne helped me overcome many blips along the way.

Now here I am, 16 years on, I have had my ups and downs, the most recent down was probably 18 months ago when I suffered a relapse.

I live a good happy life. When I think back on the days of wearing a patch for my double vision, I guess you just do what ya gotta do! I am so pleased to say there are more than 1 treatments options available to me these days, what music to my ears, the days of the horrible self-injecting are over, for this, I am very grateful, a new plan B was very, very welcome.

The support the MS Northwest Therapy Centre has given me over the last number of years has been amazing overwhelming, and now I just want to give something back, so they can go on and continue to help others, young and old, in similar situations who need it. Any donation big or small, will be so gratefully appreciated