Fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis: an issue close to this mother and daughter's hearts

Ms Cook was diagnosed with progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in December 2017

"I can move my thumbs, but I can’t move or feel my fingers, it’s like a concrete box because it just hurts but you can’t feel it enough to move and shake it off, then there’s the electric shocks,' she said.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease causing lesions or holes in the spinal cord, brain and optic nerves which affects the central nervous system.

Ms Cook, who lives in Junee, said she had around 27 lesions in her nervous system, and the first sign was frightening.

"I worked 60 hours over three days one week, and woke up blind," she said.

"After my diagnosis, I woke up paralysed, then it kept progressing to things like fatigue, stress, lack of mobility, speech and vertigo, so hit all at once."

Once an international chef, Ms Cook said the adjustment to her condition was difficult.

"I love making cakes but now I can’t hold a knife," she said.

"It’s frustrating having to use a walker, and sell the car and things like that which you shouldn’t have to do at my age."

One of Ms Cook's biggest supports is her daughter Mariah Foley. 

Miss Foley said it was hard to watch her mum's decline.

"The whole independence side of things is one of the most difficult aspects [for mum], so even though Mum has gotten to experience a lot of things before her diagnosis, she’d still like to have a job and get out and about which she can’t really do anymore," she said.

Miss Foley is on a mission to make a difference for her mum's live and the lives of others living with Multiple Sclerosis. 

"I want to help create groups to support people with MS getting out and to help them be able to do things," she said.

"One of the big fundraisers we are planning is a Roaring Twenties Casino night on the 18th of May at Romano's in the Chandelier room, so we’re hoping to get around 120 people and raise around $5000, and anyone can come along and buy a ticket.

"There will be drinks and meals, and other fun activities like raffles and silent auctions," Miss Foley said.

Ms Cook and her daughter will also be participating in a 10km run/walk in Melbourne on June 2 as part of the MS fun run. 

"We need to raise awareness to hopefully find a cure because currently there isn’t one and they still don’t know what causes it," Miss Foley said.

"Part of the money raised will being going towards finding a cure and also looking at putting it back to the local community of people living with MS in the Riverina.

"That was one of the things we found when Mum got diagnosed, we didn’t know who else had it or who she could talk to about it to be able to help her throughout in ways that I couldn’t."

Miss Foley said at this stage, her mum is trying to manage the symptoms of MS as best she can.

"Mum has progressive MS, so it’s a constant decline - she’s on a new trial at the moment called Ocrevus," she said. 

Ms Cook added she was the guinea pig on the new trial in the Riverina. 

"So it’s basically where every six months you sit through a six or so hour period getting injected with pain killers, then steroids then the Ocrevus, and I’ve been trialing it for about a year now which seems to be slowing my symptoms a little bit I suppose, but it is something I have to keep up for the rest of my life," she said.

The mother and daughter are hoping to make a difference and spark a movement for others to do the same.

"It’s not a disease you often hear about, and people just go about their lives so we’re trying to raise more awareness to get these people help to make daily life easier," Miss Foley said.

Donations can be made here.

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