MS can strike anyone. It is a disease of the central nervous system which interferes with the passage of nerve impulses between the brain and other parts of the body.

MS is completely unpredictable: those who have it don't know how it will affect them from one day to the next.

An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have MS. 2,500 people are diagnosed with MS in the UK every year: around 50 people every week. MS is usually diagnosed in the prime of life, between ages 20-45, when responsibilities to families and careers are at their greatest.

In addition to funding 45% of all research into MS, the Multiple Sclerosis Society supports people with the disease and secures the care they need in their everyday lives.

The MS Society provides a UK freephone helpline, 0808 800 8000 which receives 30,000 calls a year.

There is no known cure for MS…yet.