Marjories Collins MS Centre - Romford, London
SEEING THE UNSEEN / FACES OF MS - WORK IN PROGRESS
Once diagnosed and living with MS, I discovered through a friend Steve the Marjories Collins MS Centre in Romford, East London, where others with MS would congregate and share their lived experiences and do various actives from seated yoga, to bingo and oxygen therapy. It was by going here meeting others with MS and being in hospital I decided to contact the MS Society in conjunction with George Harris who specialises in these kinds of projects to seek their endorsement do a photography project "Seeing the unseen” documenting others with MS, with the rationale to share awareness of whart is a hidden illness.
Rita was diagnosed 40yrs ago. She has never had any medication, she believe in a healthy balanced lifestyle, healthy food, exercise and a positive state of mind.
This Ruth she is 57 and has primary progressive MS and was diagnosed in 2023. She doesn’t taken any medication because her brain legions are not active enough.
Sue is brilliant, been unable to walk for a long time but she is extremely positive and funny. She’s a proper East London lady.
Steve is a bit of a legend. He volunteers at the Marjorie Collins centre, operating the oxygen tank. He also volunteers for the MS Society as a befriending volunteer for those who have MS and need to speak to someone. Steve is also a buddy for Shift MS and also does several fund-raising challenges, from the Gherkin tower walk to zip-lines over Twickenham stadium, raising funds for MS-UK. Steve has recently started the Octopus therapy trial MS drug.
This is Sakeenah Humara , her MS cruelly affecter he speech. She has a beautiful sole and is always positive and giggling, never wanting the MS to define her - she is just a joy to be around.
This is Barry he is 58 and had MS for approx. 18 years. He lso operates the oxygen tank at the Marjorie Collins centre,
This is Jacqueline she thinks MS is a fucker.
This is Humera Hussain, her MS cruelly affecter he speech. She has a beautiful sole and is always positive and giggling, never wanting the MS to define her - she is just a joy to be around.
This is Caroline McCarthy doing seated yoga, she helps manage the Majorie Collins MS centre.
This is Angela and she has had MS for nearly 30 years. She finds it challenging but you has to think about what you have got rather what you haven’t got.
This is Christine she has had MS for 16 years and she is 59 now and has secondary progressive. She is on a trail drug that is supposed to slow down the disease progression and she believes it is helping.
Moira is 61 from Snowdonia north Wales and has had the symptoms of MS from the age 11, where she went blind in one eye, then more symptoms as she started secondary school. MS left her alone until she was 23, then she went blind again and nothing until she had children in her late 30’s and it came back as secondary progressive, she gets support from her friends and family and the multidisciplinary team at Queens hospital, she struggles on and says a positive state of mine is crucial.
This is Paulette she is 64, her MS symptoms arrived in 50’s where she had a limp, the trigger was possibly stress as her marriage hit the rocks, but the battled on.
This is Amarjit he is 52 and has RRMS and he struggled to walk when initially diagnosed, he takes injections 3 times per week and he does yoga and everything exercises. His first sumptms started with shoulder pains and then optic neuritis.