"I first went to hospital in April 2014, after pins and needles had travelled up from my feet to over my shoulders, in the space of two weeks, and I could not feel my feet. Six months later I was told I had Multiple Sclerosis.

The symptoms that stop me from leading a normal life are varied. My number one symptom is fatigue. Until you experience it, you think that someone with fatigue is just being lazy or cunning, and the list continues. The exhaustion seems to come and go as it wants. For those who endure it, the guilt of not being able to do what you previously could, is just as damaging. Sometimes it is hard not being able to do what everyone else is doing. Another symptom is the lack of feeling. Numbness can be dangerous, and twice now, I have nearly had to go back to hospital.

MS Waikato offers a range of valuable services and support, from answering your call for help, supplying information about seminars, treatments, helpful diets, and other agencies that can assist. MS Waikato value people and their dignity. I never thought it would be me with MS. Your support for MS Waikato means that I, and others like me with MS, can feel valued, important, and human again. Your donation allows the good people of MS Waikato to help me to be as good as I can be. One day it may be you who needs their help."

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"Getting feedback from your limbs telling you that something is hot is important! The feelings of depression and loss of confidence are symptoms which also affect my life. As a father, it isn’t easy knowing I can’t promise that everything is going to be ok. I’ve found being honest with people about your MS, and seeing how they react, is an excellent filter.

I have questioned, “Why me?”, and “What did I do to deserve this?” but I’m not expecting an answer. MS Waikato helped me to realise I am not alone; this is one of the most empowering things for a person like me with MS. Social interactions are essential as there is usually a more experienced person, with MS, who can help to explain to you what's happening."

About Us

MS Waikato provides a service that is driven by the needs of people within our community, support us today to enable us to continue our vital work.

Being diagnosed with a neurological condition is life changing and can be overwhelming. For most people, their knowledge of the condition is limited, so the provision of support and education is essential to enable them to live as independently and participate in life as much as possible.

MS Waikato supports our clients as and when required, travelling throughout the Greater Waikato and Coromandel regions. Sometimes this is achieved through being an advocate with other agencies. Through these services it is not only the client who benefits but also their families/whanau, friends, and wider society.

Our team work closely with people who are newly diagnosed, supporting them with reliable, robust, and up to date information together with symptom management strategies for themselves and their family. This is undertaken as soon as possible after a diagnosis and we continue with information and education whenever it is needed. We also work hard to support our members when they are unwell, we are often the link between them, the hospital and community services, offering suggestions and pathways for necessary and specific care and support.