NIC Jenks hasn’t let multiple sclerosis (MS) get in the way of living life to the full and now she’s found a way to help other sufferers through social media.
Diagnosed when she was 15, the 21-year-old (pictured) is studying interior design at Swinburne University and works in her local supermarket when she can.
“I do get sick, but most of the time I’m fine … I go to uni and work,” she says. “MS isn’t my life. I don’t let it stop me at all.”
Nic says that when she was younger, she didn’t really think about the effect of MS on her life. “It wasn’t until recently I thought about how bad it can be.”
Nic has experienced a range of symptoms, including eyesight and speech problems, and memory loss. She had a numb leg for two years and recently had to go to hospital for three days to be put on a steroid drip.
Frustrated at having to always explain MS and why she couldn’t sometimes go to work or uni, she made a video and posted it on YouTube. “It’s not like me to talk about myself,” she says. “It’s not about me, though; it’s about raising awareness and informing others. I’d been on YouTube before and there wasn’t much about MS on there.”
MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system and affects more than 21,000 Australians. An MS fun run and walk held at Albert Park on Sunday raised money to fund research and support people living with the disease.
Thanks to the popularity of her video, Nic raised $20,000 and took part in the event with a large group of friends and family.
Moorabool residents helped her achieve the total with a fund-raiser in Bacchus Marsh on May 20 raising close to $9000.
Bacchus Marsh Lions Club member Len Murfitt says that after watching Nic’s video, the club was happy to assist.
Watch Nic’s video below.
