Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a long-lasting disease that can affect your brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves in your eyes. 

It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscle control and other basic bodily functions. 

Although the above is often cited as "not the norm", I know from first hand experience that this often the case. 

When I was 4, my aunt was diagnosed with a very mild form of MS.

Within 6 months of this diagnosis, she had lost almost all muscle control in her legs, the ability to walk, and was bedridden and wheelchair bound.

One of the symptoms of MS is leg spasms. 

Her legs constantly hit the metal frameworks of the wheelchair, despite it being padded for her protection, causing lacerations and ulcers which in turn have lead to amputation due to the lack of blood circulation and irreparable tissue damage.

She has also had to endure dysphagia, constant severe pain in muscles and joints, bladder and bowel problems including incontinence, urinary tract infections and constipation, depression, fatigue, the loss of her short term memory, career and confidence, frontal lobe brain damage and being restricted to bed rest for 21 hours a day has lead to severe pressure (bed) sores; such is the aggressive nature of this type of MS. 

I really want to bring attention to the charity MS Society UK, as they are a lifeline for people who continue to suffer a similar fate and offer some sort of hope for the future.

Many sufferers don't have a family support network, leading to a life of isolation and neglect, both socially and physically. 

My aunt has 4 visits from 2 carers each day, and this can often feel intrusive - while the quality/standard of care and cultural differences of many carers can have negative impact on the patient, especially if elderly.

Although many people have dedicated their lives to MS research, invariably, the milder form of this disease gets the media attention, leaving acute MS sufferers widely forgotten and not well represented. 

Please help me support this cause, by making a small contribution to support the fantastic work they do. More than 100,000 people in the UK have MS, and they fight tirelessly to improve treatment and care to help people with the disease take control of their lives. 

NO SUM IS TOO SMALL. 

Together, we can make a difference.

To help give you a reason to donate, I've chosen to cut my hair off on Twitch if i can raise the full 10k.

I have 52k subscribers right now, so if everyone gave $1, we'd have achieved something incredible together, and i plan to cut off all my hair (sort of my trademark) on live stream to help encourage your support and drive attention to MS Society UK, who's work i have so much respect for. 

I truly hope that this inspires people to give as much/little as they possibly can.

Love to you all/Sincerely,

Hugh.

PS: Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.