My partner has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for around five years, having been diagnosed just before we met. In that time, he’s been so lucky to have received so much care and support from the MS team at Southmead.
His attitude towards his MS is inspiring – a great balance between sensible and care-free. I honestly think his positive attitude towards his condition is influenced by the amazing NHS staff around him.
It all started because I read an article about the effects of smoking on MS. I wanted my partner to give up smoking but knew he would find it difficult to do it, so I said I’d sponsor him to do it. It worked!
That one idea somehow became 12 months of fundraising and in the following year, with the support and involvement of my partner and friends, I:
At times, 12 months of fundraising felt like an overwhelming mission but the support from everyone was fantastic and seeing the total going up was a huge motivation.
The Charity team checked in regularly to see how things were going, helped out with ideas and gave us t-shirts so we could promote our fundraising to friends, family and the community.
When you find yourself in a situation where the circumstances and diagnosis cannot be changed, it’s lovely to feel like you’re doing something positive.
If you find yourself in a similar position and want to give back to the NHS that helped you or a loved one, then fundraising is a great way of saying thank you! Get friends to join in, don’t be afraid to ask for help and call in some favours – you are fundraising for a charity after all!
Would I do it all again? Yes! I’ll definitely be back to do a couple more fundraisers in the future. We started out with a fundraising target of £200 and after raising £3,728, it’d be nice to reach £4,000, or maybe even £5,000. Round numbers are just nicer, aren’t they?!
Like Laura, you can fundraise your way for your local NHS in Bristol. Please contact Hannah for more information or to start raising money today.
