Health and Family: Sarah Cornish – The full time working mum with the disabling condition MS

Its 60 years since the founding of the Multiple Sclerosis Society but the disease has yet to give up all of its secrets. Hilarie Stelfox meets a Golcar family living with the effects of the condition

SARAH CORNISH was just 24 when she was diagnosed with the disabling disease multiple sclerosis.

Although more than a decade later she is now a wheelchair user she is determined to live as normal life as possible.

Unusually, she has a full-time job and is the parent of two young children. Sarah and her husband, Jason, say their family is a rarity as most early-onset MS sufferers dont have children at all.

Sarah considers herself to be fortunate in many ways, not least because she knew what she was up against right from the start.

Getting a diagnosis meant, she says: I could put a name to why I was not able to do something.

I was lucky compared to other people who have it, because they have issues for 10 or 15 years before they get diagnosed.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society, which has its diamond jubilee this year, says its not uncommon for sufferers to go undiagnosed altogether.

According to the societys Huddersfield and Kirklees lead support volunteer, Jill Boothroyd, this area has up to 500 diagnosed MS patients but many more hidden sufferers.

There are always a lot of people rumbling along who dont know whats wrong with them, she said. Because the symptoms are so varied it can be difficult to get a diagnosis.

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Health and Family: Sarah Cornish - The full time working mum with the disabling condition MS