Central SA
Central South Africans with MS say support makes it bearable─── ZENANDE MPAME 11:54 Tue, 27 May 2025
Central South Africans living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) say having the best support structure makes living with the disease bearable.
World MS Day is observed every year on 30 May. MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.
It is estimated that more than 5,000 South Africans live with MS, according to Multiple Sclerosis South Africa. The World Health Organisation estimates the worldwide number at 1.8 million.
“I have been a MS Warrior for the past 15 years and I have been extremely blessed,” said Gerrie Hadders from Vereeniging. “I think the biggest blessing for anyone with MS is to have a support structure.
“I was personally very blessed to meet up with the MS Hope people to support me, but I’ve also got a very strong medical team. I think it is important to have the correct support around you on the lows and the highs.”
Symptoms of MS vary from person to person and depend on the location and severity of nerve fibre damage. These often include vision problems, tiredness, trouble walking and keeping balance, numbness or weakness in the arms and legs, and muscle stiffness.
Symptoms can come and go or last for a long time. These symptoms can worsen with heat or during other infections, such as urinary tract or respiratory infections. MS primarily affects young to middle-aged adults, with more women than men affected.
Michelle Basson has been living with MS for eleven years, and Herman Prinsloo has been living with MS for 20 years. Photos supplied
Although the exact cause of the immune system’s attack on myelin (the nerves in the brain and spinal cord) is unknown, environmental and genetic factors are believed to be involved.
“I’ve been living with MS for about eleven years, and the one thing about the illness is the fact that you don’t know what’s going to happen next,” said Michelle Basson from Port Nolloth. “Today, you can walk properly, but tomorrow maybe you won’t be able to walk.”
Rozaan Steyn has been living with MS for five years, and Gerrie Hadders has been living with MS for 15 years. Photos supplied
“The fact that it is not a visible illness, you actually look very fine, but you are very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, and people often find it difficult to understand.”
What has helped me on this road is my relationship with God; if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it this far, she said.
