Steps Against MS: Walking Back to Hope

**All donations made between March 17th and April 27th will go to the Stop MS Appeal campaign organised by the MS Society and match funded. Every £1 you give will be matched to support groundbreaking research at the world-leading Edinburgh Centre for MS research.**

Hello all!

I’m Camelia, 36 years old and living in London. Life was going along normally for me ‍‍‍‍until I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2023. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that impacts the central nervous system (i.e. brain + spinal cord). It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerves, called myelin, causing lesions. This affects how signals travel through the nerves, leading to various symptoms like extreme tiredness, walking difficulties, numbness, vision issues and cognitive problems. The progression and severity of the disease can vary significantly from one person to another, with symptoms potentially worsening over time or occurring in relapsing episodes.

MS Awareness Week 2025 coincides with the second anniversary of my diagnosis so I thought it was the perfect time to finally speak out about my condition and embrace this period as a moment of acceptance. I understand that I will never be the same person I once was. Many people who are unfamiliar with the condition may not fully grasp the daily challenges, but I believe being open about them here with you is an opportunity to help the MS community. The ongoing research provides hope for me and many others living with MS that a cure may be found one day. Until that time comes, we need to support the development of treatments that help slow the progression of MS in patients.

MS Awareness Week is therefore also the perfect time to raise funds in support of research initiatives aimed at finding better treatments and ultimately a cure for MS. This is why my friends and I are walking to the “Edge of the World” to raise £10,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference and all funds raised will go directly to the MS Society.

I am forever grateful to my family and friends ‍for their unwavering love and support. A special thank you today goes to Lynn and Alizée for taking time away from their busy lives filled with husbands, children, and careers to join me on this walk. Together, we aim to raise awareness and support an important organisation, the MS Society, that provides essential information for patients and their families, as well as funds vital research. You might know the expression “I would go to the end of the world for you”, well these two girls are doing exactly that so massive THANK YOU! again.

My story

In early 2023, as I was busy with a new job and planning my wedding, an overwhelming fatigue settled over me. Along with this exhaustion came other troubling signs like memory lapses and a foggy brain, but it was the fatigue that truly consumed me. Concerned that it might be related to my hormones, I promptly visited my doctor. After undergoing an MRI of my brain , the doctor informed me that they had identified some white spots in the images, indicating I was experiencing a lesion episode, possibly linked to multiple sclerosis. I was taken aback—though I had heard the term before, I didn't fully grasp its implications. A few hours spent researching online left me feeling devastated. Additional tests, including a spinal tap, were necessary to rule out other potential conditions, and the final diagnosis was delivered before summer arrived.

A particularly tough part of living with MS for me and many others is that many symptoms are "invisible," meaning others may not see the struggles a person is facing, even if they look fine on the outside. This can result in misunderstandings or a lack of empathy from others, making it hard for those with MS to express their challenges leaving us feeling isolated.

Our challenge: Steps Against MS

Starting on March 20th, we plan to walk approximately 90 km (~56 miles) over the course of three days, from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre, once believed to be the “Edge of the World”.

Finisterre (or Fisterra) is the westernmost point of Spain. This section of the world-renowned Camino de Santiago (i.e. the historic pilgrimage route that leads to the shrine of the apostle St. James in Santiago de Compostela, an ancient path that has attracted pilgrims for centuries, offering not only a spiritual journey but also a chance to immerse oneself in breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and vibrant cultures along the way) is believed to likely predate Christianity, with evidence suggesting that ancient pagan communities traveled here to honor the setting sun and the transition between worlds. The walk to Finisterre is seen as a symbolic journey to the edge of the known world.

The Camino serves as a testament to the enduring human spirit, drawing individuals from all walks of life to walk together in search of connection, purpose, and personal discovery. We expect to meet a lot of travellers along the way and through this shared experience, I believe we can cultivate a deeper connection to ourselves and to one another.

Join us on our adventures, and please consider clicking the campaign link to donate to the MS Society—your support means the world to us!

More information about Multiple Sclerosis Society

More than 130,000 people in the UK and 2.9 million people worldwide have MS. The MS Society is here for every one of them, through the highs, lows and everything in between.

There is no cure, but they offer hope for the future by investing millions in research, and help for today through their information, support and campaigning.

Watch the National MS Society campaign clip to learn more.