Clair Price is a fit and active 34-year-old mum of two young children. She also has MS.
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The Worrigee woman was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 at 27-years-old. Her eldest daughter had not long turned one.
Clair said she doesn't 'fit the picture' for what people often think MS sufferers look like, and she's out to raise awareness.
"People don't realise that young people get diagnosed with MS too, they just think of people in wheelchairs," she said.
Clair is taking part in The May 50k which will see thousands lace up the joggers and run or walk 50 kilometres throughout May to raise vital funds for MS research.
Logging her five kilometre morning walks on her Fitbit, Clair is well on her way to hitting the 50 kilometre target, and her goal of $500. She currently has $243 in the fundraising kitty.
Clair takes regular medication to treat her MS, however there's still no cure. She's hoping with continual fundraising, a cure is just around the corner.
"To me, I'm one of the lucky ones that can keep fit and active but in the future, if my health deteriorates, we really need a cure," she said.
Clair first started seeking medical help after she began losing sensation in her fingertips and hands. A numbing sensation from the waist down, often brought on when she became warm from exercising, soon followed.
An eight-month battle to have her condition diagnosed ensued.
"It was a battle to get doctors to believe me," she said.
" After a lot of tests they kept trying to shrug it off and I finally saw a neurologist who diagnosed it."
While MS is a lifelong diagnosis, Clair hasn't let it hold her back. Last month she competed in a fitness competition she'd spent many months training for.
"I want to show people that MS isn't always a burden - it's been my motivation to prove that it won't stop me from reaching my dreams," she said.
She thanked her husband, Daniel Price, for his support.
"He's my number one support person. He's been by my side through thick and thin. I cant thank him enough for his incredible love and support," she said.
Clair encouraged anyone living with MS in the Shoalhaven to reach out to the Shoalhaven MS Support and Social group on Facebook.
She said the group has helped her through the feelings of isolation she suffered with after first being diagnosed.
Donate to Clair's The May 50k fundraising journey here. All funds raised go to MS Research Australia.
WHAT IS MS?
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central nervous system, interfering with nerve impulses within the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is characterised by sclerosis, a Greek word meaning scars. These scars occur within the central nervous system and depending on where they develop, manifest into various symptoms.
- MS affects more than 25,600 in Australia and more than two million diagnosed worldwide. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20-40, but it can affect younger and older people too. Roughly three times as many women have MS as men.
- There is currently no known cure for MS however there are a number of treatment options available to help manage symptoms and slow progression of the disease.
- More information available at msaustralia.org.au