Sheffield woman diagnosed with MS at 15 who noticed exhaustion after school completes walking challenge
“Some days are incredibly difficult, but I refuse to let MS define who I am”
A 23-year-old Sheffield woman who was diagnosed with MS at 15 after noticing how school days left her exhausted joined hundreds of others in a weekend walking challenge.
Eleanor Kitson took part in MS Walk in London on Saturday (September 26) to raise much-needed funds for the MS Society.
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The event invites people to walk, roll or stroll 1km, 5km, 10km or 20km alongside hundreds of others to raise money for MS research.
Eleanor was diagnosed with relapsing MS at just 15-years-old.
One of her first symptoms was that she was always tired and sleeping a lot after school. Doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as normal teenage tiredness, but Eleanor’s mum knew something wasn’t right and pushed for answers.
The condition is defined as ‘relapsing’, meaning that symptoms come and go, but she lives with struggles including light and noise sensitivity, fatigue, speech issues, and tingling sensations in her legs. At 23-years-old, she uses a walking stick to help her get around.
Eleanor, who works in social media and design and completed the 5km route, said: “When I was first diagnosed, I heard about MS Walk and knew straight away that I wanted to take part and I wanted to help raise awareness.
“A lot of people think MS is just something that makes you tired, but they don’t understand how complex it can be. I want to help people understand that it can affect people of all ages and genders, and that no two people experience MS in the same way.
“For a long time, my symptoms were invisible. It is only in the past few weeks, since I started using a walking stick, that people can see there is something wrong.
“Before that, people would often say, ‘But you seem fine’.
“I did the walk with my best friend, my boyfriend, my mum, my dad and some of my dad's friends and family. I do not know where I would be without the support network around me. MS does not just affect the person who has it. The people around you play such an important role. Some days are incredibly difficult, but I refuse to let MS define who I am.”
Over 150,000 people in the UK live with MS. The condition affects the brain and spinal cord and impacts how people move, think and feel. Symptoms are different for everybody and often invisible. They can be mild or severe, and include fatigue, pain and mobility issues.
Mark Haymes, head of community, events and retail fundraising, says: “We couldn’t do our important work without the support of incredible people like Eleanor. Living with MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable, but thanks to our fundraisers, we can make sure that no one goes through MS alone – and we’re closer than ever to stopping MS.”
To support Eleanor’s fundraising, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/eleanor-kitson-3