Last April, my life changed in an instant. I suddenly lost my vision due to optic neuritis. One moment everything was normal, and the next I couldn’t see properly. I had just welcomed my second little boy, Luca, into the world in January. I was 23 years old, adjusting to life with two young children, and then everything shifted without warning.

When I was admitted to hospital and had an MRI scan, doctors found numerous lesions on my brain and spine. Hearing that something was wrong with my brain at 23 years old was terrifying. I didn’t understand what it meant. I didn’t know what we were facing. I just knew my world felt like it was collapsing.

I underwent a lumbar puncture to help confirm a diagnosis. In the meantime, I received high-dose steroid treatment in the hope of restoring my vision. Thankfully, my sight returned but the fear stayed.

I then faced an anxious wait for my results. On the 30th of June the day after my son’s second birthday I was told I had highly active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a lifelong, unpredictable condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure. Hearing those words felt like my world shattered. The uncertainty of my future became overwhelming.

That very same day, I woke up from a nap unable to move my lower limbs. I was paralysed. What should have been days filled with my babies became another hospital stay, more treatment, and the heartbreaking reality of having to learn to walk again. I remember the fear, the frustration, and the overwhelming sadness of not being able to just be “mum” in the way I wanted to be.

Since then, life hasn’t been the same. It’s been filled with appointments, treatments, relapses, and symptoms that can change without warning. But what people don’t always see is what MS does to you emotionally the fear, the grief, the loss of who you thought you would be. The constant worry about whether I’ll be able to keep up with my boys. The fear of missing moments. The weight of not knowing what the future holds. It’s something I carry with me every single day.

The care I receive from the incredible team at my hospital has carried me through the darkest moments of my life.

My MS nurse, my neurologist, my therapist, and every single member of staff who cared for me showed me compassion that I will never be able to put into words. They didn’t just treat my condition they cared for me as a person, as a mum, as someone trying to hold everything together when life felt like it was falling apart.

I also want to say a special thank you to my MS nurse Bernie. She has been incredible throughout this journey. When I’ve felt scared, overwhelmed, and completely lost, she has been there to support me, reassure me, and fight my corner every step of the way. The way she cares goes far beyond her role, she has carried me through my darkest moments. I truly don’t know how I would have got through this without her support. She is an absolute credit to the hospital and I will be forever grateful for everything she has done for me.

I also want to mention my therapist, Neha.

She has been such an important part of my journey, helping me navigate the emotional weight of this diagnosis when everything feels overwhelming. She gives me a safe space to process everything I’m feeling and helps me find strength in moments where I feel at my lowest. Neha also encouraged me to share my story, which hasn’t been easy, but has been such an important step in my healing. I’m so incredibly grateful for her support and everything she is continuing to do for me.

That is why I am raising money for the Hillingdon Hospital Charity.

Because this is my way of saying thank you. This fundraiser is not just about my story it’s about every patient who walks through those doors scared and uncertain, just like I was. It’s about making sure they have the same support, care, and kindness that helped carry me through.

If you are able to donate or even just share my story, it would mean more than I can ever explain. You are helping support the people who quite literally change lives every single day.

Your donations help patients in HIllingdon from the smallest newborn babies, through to older patients, and those nearing end of life, and everyone in between.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this with me. 💛