Story
A choir performance to raise money for National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS)
I have been a member of Bitterne Park Community Choir for a number of years. Over the years the choir has become an essential part of my week and a short respite from caring for my husband who has Axial Spondyloarthritis along with fibromyalgia.
We have been together for over 30 years and in that time I have witnessed the onset and subsequent deterioration of his health. I’ve watched him go from a fit, football playing, cycling, energetic young man to present day at the relative young age of 50, where somedays he can’t get a lid off a jar, much less get out of the house.
Axial Spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) is an auto-immune inflammatory arthritis. It’s a painful, progressive form of inflammatory arthritis. It mainly affects the spine including the neck and hips but can also affect many other joints, tendons and ligaments. Widespread inflammation can also affect other organs in the body such as the digestive system and eyes.
In simple terms: Your body believes it is being attacked by a foreign agent, and as such, generates an immune response whereby the body attacks its own bone joints, resulting in intense pain, fatigue and ultimately bone fusion can occur.
To find out more, watch this short video:
Living with AS video - CLICK HERE
NASS doesn’t receive any statutory funding. They rely on the kindness and generosity of people like you, to help transform the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with axial SpA.
Please help where you can by donating what you can afford to this charity who have helped us immeasurably over the years.
Thank you for your support.
Julie Goodman
Find out even more: www.nass.co.uk