Nothing will stop me from working.

“Like most small practitioners, work comes in peaks and troughs and it was my misfortune to develop MS in my early 40s, at the worst of times. Unable to walk and in a parlous financial state, the ABS came to my assistance. After a speedy assessment, they provided immediate help, which enabled my family to plan for the future.

Our children were in their mid teens and my wife had not worked for many years but we were fortunate. A School of Architecture had recently moved nearby and we decided to take in student lodgers whilst my wife acted as carer and studied ‘A’ levels part time. She worked hard and at the age of 48 gained a place at university.

Her hard won degree has made all the difference; she is now our main breadwinner and I work part time.

My MS has cycled between relapse and remission for 20 years, instead of regressing headlong into a spiral of disability, although progressively deteriorating. Walking is now very difficult and lack of exercise exacerbates my condition. However the ABS again came to my rescue by providing a movement therapy machine for neuromuscular illness that builds muscle strength and reduces reliance on a wheelchair. I am very vulnerable without my wife’s help and when she became ill earlier this year the ABS immediately arranged convalescent care for us. She received appropriate nursing care and I my normal physiotherapy. With assistance from the ABS, I am still working and look forward to the future.”

Ray, August 2007