Your AccountEMSP MS Storytellers during Brain Awareness Week 2024
11.03.2024
During Brain Awareness Week 2024, EMSP is bringing you illustrated stories from people with MS from different countries, professions and economic backgrounds. From Monday 11th March we will highlight an issue that thousands of people with MS have experienced.
We begin (Day 1) with a young girl diagnosed with MS when they were in their teens; she is forced to question so many things about her life. Acknowledging that this is an experience people diagnosed with MS go through, no matter what age, we want to start the conversation here. On Day 2 we met Jacobo, diagnosed aged 22 and who, because of the inaccessible environment, was unable to continue doing the things he loved, like going to the theatre. Day 3 Hristina from Bulgaria was confronted with unfairness because of her MS with education opportunities severely curtailed or cut off! Eduard from Romania on Day 4 talked about the power of the MS community to support him through difficult times so he was reminded of the good things in life. We close Brain Awareness Week 2024, Day 5, with an illustration of Hayley from Scotland who had her career up-ended when she was told she couldn’t be a pilot.
The EMSP MS Storyteller campaign shows people with MS from across Europe & communicates, in a glance, the issues that they have dealt with in their lives. These are experiences many of the 1.2 million people with MS in Europe have dealt with in their own lives.
Please share with your network and support your national MS organisation.
Sign the EMSP petition for better MS care in Europe https://emsp.org/get-involved/one-million-minds-campaign/#petition #MS #BrainWeek #BrainAwarenessWeek
Part of the One Million Minds Campaign. The industry partners are financial supporters who do not have any control on the governance of this project. This project is co-funded by Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Viatris.
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- MS Storytellers: Donna, UK Illustration of a young woman (South Asian) dreaming of travel, hobbies & work. Speech bubble: I was 17, I still had my whole life in front of me, I had plans, I had so many hopes and dreams and everything was taken away from me. Speech bubble: Every relapse was like a bereavement because I was losing parts of myself that I couldn’t get back. *Images of four silhouettes being gradually erased. Two hands pulling cage bars apart. Speech bubble: Quality information restores and empowers patients
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- MS Storytellers: Jacobo, Spain Illustrated poster for Brain Awareness Week from the European MS Platform MS Storyteller campaign. Poster telling the story of Jacobo. Abstract & vibrant illustrations. First image of a person’s eyes distorted, out of focus lines. Speech bubble At 22 I got double vision a common symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. Second Image of a person lying down about to enter a medical scanner. Speech bubble “I went through many many tests and then was told I have MS”. Illustration 3 A peron using an ambulatory wheelchair at the bottom of a long stairs of steps up to a theatre. Speech bubble “I used to go to the theatre and had to stop when I got into the wheelchair”.
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- MS Storytellers: Hristina, Bulgaria
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- MS Storytellers: Eduard, Romania Poster telling the story of Eduard, Romania. Illustration of eyes surrounded by letters. 1st speech bubble I went to the eye hospital and they said my eyes were perfect; six months later I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Illustration of person walking in the rain. Grey and blue. 2nd speech bubble – I felt depressed, with fear and uncertainty about my future. Image of one hand reaching towards many hands for support. 3rd speech bubble- I reached out for guidance and support from the MS community. Illustration of performers on stage taking a bow. 4th speech bubble- I joined meetings for young people with MS. We share our stories, best practices and empower the community to support one another
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- MS Storytellers: Hayley, Scotland. Illustrated poster for Brain Awareness Week from the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform MS Storyteller campaign. Abstract & vibrant illustrations. First image of a young woman (White) with long blonde hair looking up to the sky where a plane is crossing. Speech bubble: The neurologist said to me “You’re not going to fly”. Second image of the same woman sitting across from a clinician (Black young man). I feel even more strongly about how health professionals interact with patients. Bold type- Knowledge is key. Third image, two parts: First part- Same woman wearing a white t-shirt and dungarees, her arms folded, she looks gloomy, is looking down to the ground. There is a dark cloud obscuring her head. Speech bubble: Without information, I can’t make plans. I feel like I am not in control. Second part of the image: Women free of the cloud with sun beams behind her. Speech bubble- Everyone should be in control of their own future and their own treatment.
