When Daisy Lima began feeling weakness in her legs, she thought she had just pulled a muscle. Then the numbness kicked in, spreading from her legs to her neck and hands.
A trip to a neurologist resulted in news the Wyndham Vale woman never saw coming: she had multiple sclerosis.
“It was very difficult, very scary,” she said.
“After an MRI scan, I could see the lesions in my brain and spinal cord. The lesions on my spinal cord were concentrated in the cervical area and I thought I’d end up in a wheelchair. All I could think was, how am I going to raise my daughter?”
But as she began her treatment, Daisy changed her attitude and decided to keep active physically and mentally. She is studying for a masters degree and goes to the gym frequently.
“I still have a few symptoms, I’m weak in the hips and get dizzy, but I’m doing well,” she said.
Daisy will join in the MS Melbourne Cycle, an annual event that raises money for the MS Society and awareness of the illness.
“I’ll be challenging my legs and riding 50 kilometres to raise awareness and help those affected by this debilitating, incurable disease,” she said. “I haven’t told my neurologist yet, but she always tells me I can do whatever I want as long as I listen to my body.
“I’m going to try to enjoy my life as much as I can for as long as I can.”
Click here to support Daisy’s fundraising efforts.
