Choose How Your Donation is Used
National Impact
National Impact: By supporting Multiple Sclerosis NZ, you're helping drive nationwide change for people living with MS, ensuring better care, faster diagnosis, access to world-class treatments, and a stronger voice for the MS community in shaping policy and the future.
Local Impact
Local Impact: When you donate to your local Multiple Sclerosis Society, you’re empowering people affected by MS, including families, carers, and whānau, with tailored support, trusted information, community connection, and advocacy that improves lives and access to care.
Collective Impact
Collective Impact: From local support groups to national policy change, every dollar delivers life-changing services, fights for fair treatment access, and amplifies voices across Aotearoa. Together, we’re raising not just funds, but hope, equity, and the standard of care for all affected by MS.
Why Time Matters
It took nearly five years for me to get diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Five years of unexplained symptoms, endless medical appointments, referrals, misdiagnoses, and growing anxiety. Five years of navigating a health system that often felt more like an obstacle course than a safety net. It was a confusing and isolating time and extremely expensive. By the time I finally received my diagnosis in 2016, I had spent a literal fortune trying to find answers. Not only having time off work, but in private specialists, MRIs, alternative therapies, and countless tests – each appointment felt like a financial and emotional gamble. And all the while, my health was deteriorating in slow, sometimes imperceptible ways that made me question my own sanity. Was I just tired? Was it stress? Was I imagining things?
- Claire Jewitt
Time also matters to...
Chris
Chris’s journey with MS began suddenly; just one day before starting a new job and only days after leaving the Navy. What followed was weeks in hospital, the shock of an MS diagnosis, and the challenge of supporting a young family. With early treatment, strong whānau support, and employers who stood by him, Chris considers himself “lucky” - but knows many others aren’t.
Monique
Diagnosed with MS in 2020, a dance teacher turned her focus to movement as both therapy and motivation. From numbness and lost mobility to conquering Mt Kaukau again, then running 10km and a half marathon, she’s shown that MS can’t stop determination; or the power of friendship and support.
Jackson
At just 30, Jackson’s world shifted from chasing adrenaline on jet skis to facing an MS diagnosis. After months of uncertainty, private testing and the right treatment helped him regain control. With support, lifestyle changes, and determination, he’s back working, training, and living life to the fullest; proving MS doesn’t define his future.
Time Matters in MS
We’re sharing personal stories to show that while multiple sclerosis is serious, it’s also treatable and manageable – especially when diagnosed early.
Recognising the signs early and acting fast can help protect brain health and delay progression.
Head to our website to read real-life stories from people with MS, listen to our podcasts and continue to learn why Time Matters.
Thank You for Your Support
