A YOUNG mum who thought having a young child was taking its toll on her health was devastated to discover she had MS.
Claire Burgin had put her problems down to the trials and tribulations of being a new mum when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in February 2013.
She had to give up her job as a call centre manager, which added family strain as it meant there was less income coming in each month, as well as managing to look after her seven-year-old son, Aaron.
But now Claire, 43, from Brampton, has been nominated in the Triumph Over Adversity category of the Proud of Barnsley awards and she said: “I’m overwhelmed to be nominated because it’s not something I’d expect recognition for at all.
“It’s just something that I’ve got to get on with really. Like if you broke your leg it’s just something you have to cope with.”
Claire finds it difficult to do tasks that most people take for granted, such as walking short distances, using her hands and sometimes talking and because of this she has had to change almost every aspect of her life.
Besides having to deal with everything that her condition throws at her Claire also has to deal with a number of negative comments about the fact that she doesn’t physically look ill.
Claire said: “Because I look okay, I find it difficult. I’m allowed to park in the car park at school and although it is a few steps further than parking on the road, it is safer than me trying to cross the road with Aaron and his bags. I could fall, or my hands could stop working.”
Since her diagnosis Claire has suffered from three relapses, in one of which she woke up and had lost all of the feeling in her left side.
She is currently in the process of trying to raise £50,000 to travel to Mexico for treatment called Hematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment (HSTC) which halts the progression of MS.
Receiving stem cell treatment means that you are highly prone to harmful infections and bacteria which if caught, could be very serious and could lead to a lot of other health complications, which is why Claire is going to Mexico as the recovery conditions are a lot cleaner and safer than those in the UK.
If she manages to raise enough funds to travel there for the treatment she will be away from her family for around four weeks.
The type of MS Claire has relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis known as RRMS is a lifelong condition that affects the brain and spinal cord that can cause a lot of health complications such as difficulty walking, blurred vision, loss of bladder control, muscle spasms and problems with balance and co-ordination.
