Woman in charity skydive to thank MS support group

A woman who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) is preparing for a fundraising skydive to thank the support group that "changed her life".

Liz Bartrum, from York, was diagnosed with MS aged 42, a few years after experiencing her first symptom.

She was encouraged to join the York, Ryedale and District group of the MS Society, where she met a welcoming group of people who shared their experiences.

Now 44, Ms Bartrum said the group had taught her to "live life to the fullest", with her sponsored skydive planned for 4 May to coincide with MS Awareness Week.

"When I went along to the group, it just changed my life," she said.

"I do consider myself to be one of the luckier ones after meeting other people in the group and hearing their stories.

"There are people in the group who, for example, haven't been able to work for several years and I'm very lucky that isn't my life at the minute."

MS is a debilitating neurological condition affecting the brain and spinal cord.

It causes severe pain, fatigue, cognitive issues and vision problems.

According to NHS England, more than 150,000 people in the UK currently live with the condition.

Ms Bartrum's first symptom was the sudden loss of vision in her left eye.

She said: "It was petrifying at the time because I had no idea what was happening.

"It was really painful, like I had been punched in the eye, so my first thought was whether I had banged into something or fallen over."

Although her sight gradually returned in the following weeks, the same sight loss happened in her right eye six years later.

After also experiencing numbness in the right side of her body and vertigo, Ms Bartrum was diagnosed with MS.

At the time, she worked in a bank but the support group inspired her to choose a different career path.

"When I was working in the bank, I thought to myself 'if I died now, would I be able to say I had done what I wanted to do and would I be happy?' and my answer was always no," she said.

"When you're younger you think you've got all the time you want but then when you receive a diagnosis like MS, it suddenly shifts your priorities and you realise we're not going to be here forever."

Ms Bartrum therefore decided to give up her job and retrain as a vet at Harper & Keele Veterinary School, where she is currently studying veterinary medicine and surgery.

She will be joined by two fellow students from her course as well as members of the support group for the skydive in Bridlington.

"I've tried to not think about the skydive too much," she said.

"I'll probably be screaming all the way down but it's so nice to be doing it with people from the support group and I'm so grateful that two of my friends from the vet school are doing it with me."

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