Lauren's Fight To End MS

Hi there! first of all, I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for reading my story + ongoing fight with Multiple Sclerosis. My ultimate goal is to shed light on such a prevalent disease, and to raise money together to end this battle.

Typically we use instagram or social media in general to post the highlights  in our days; special moments, accomplishments, when we look our best etc. It’s a community where we share the fun times and the pictures we are enjoying ourselves in. That being said, More times than not, we really don’t know what’s going on in an individuals life beyond a simple photograph. 

In autumn of 2016, a few patches on the right side of my body went completely numb, I truly thought it was a pinched nerve so I brushed it off and waited for it to go away. After a small amount of time, that patch turned into the entire left side of my body and shortly after that, my right. At this time, I felt an exhaustion I’ve never experienced in my entire life. A kind of tired that just felt different, and incredibly scary. My family doctor quickly sent an urgent referral to neurology at University Hospital. I then knew this was more than a pinched nerve. 

Needless to say, I was terrified of the outcome and absolutely hated the idea of the unknown. My parents took me to every single appointment, MRI, cognitive test, follow up, blood work appointment etc. that was scheduled for me, until I was sat down to be informed that at 24 years of age, ‘’You have Multiple Sclerosis.” The hardest pill I have had to swallow thus far in my life. Needless to say, I couldn’t comprehend what I had just been informed, and the room was spinning.

I spent countless hours researching what this disease meant, what I was to expect and how I’ll manage such a thing at such a young age, but unfortunately doing my homework never taught me the things I’ve had to face thus far. My whole world flipped upside down, until I was told something I will gratefully never forget. ‘‘ You have MS, MS doesn’t have you.’’ Every single day is different, sometimes I wonder ‘’why me,’’ sometimes I am so incredibly tired that a simple task doesn’t feel so simple at all. Sometimes I have to drag myself to an appointment, sometimes I cry, sometimes I feel incredibly strong and sometimes I just simply don’t. 

My hope + goal is to raise $5,000 dollars to donate to the MS Society of Canada, to raise awareness on this disease, and to collectively work together to end this fight. My dream is to one day be able to say on behalf of myself + anyone having to live with this disease "I HAD MS, MS DID NOT have me.

Thank you x a million,

Lauren McAvoy