Ulster Mum boost in battle on MS
When supermum Geraldine O'Donnell got a tingling feeling in her hands her husband suggested it could be MS - little did she know at the time how right his diagnosis was.
It was back in 2006 the plucky Greencastle woman was diagnosed with the condition but since then a day hasn't passed she's let the disease take over her life.
In fact, optimistic Geraldine admits it's pretty much had the opposite effect, and if anything the mum-of-three said living with MS has pushed her in to doing things she'd never have dreamed of before - like the imminent walk of Machu Picchu Inca trail in Peru she's taking part in to raise money for the MS Society.
And it's because of the 'inspirational' way she's taken on the disease her daughter Aoife decided to nominate her for a top-notch award to be crowned one magazine's Ulster Mum of 2009.
And, to 48-year-old Geraldine's surprise and delight ,she scooped the title.
Sharing her story with the Journal, the Letterkenny Institute of Technology freedom of information officer said she doesn't worry about the future, she simply takes each day as it comes.
Geraldine, who now lives in Letterkenny, said: "I am not worried about MS because simply there are so many other things out there. I have the same chances of being hit down by a bus today as I did yesterday. Nobody may wake up tomorrow you just have to make the most out of life and live everyday likes it's your last. There is no point in worrying about something that might not happen."
When Geraldine first started getting symptoms of the conditions doctors suspected she'd had a stroke. It was November 2005 she felt a tingly sensation in her hands and the following week lost all power in the left hand side of her body. But after she was kept in hospital for a week - and doctors carried out a host of tests - they told her it wasn't a stroke.
Geraldine went to see a private doctor in Dublin who told her she had a form of MS. He said if she got another episode then she would have MS.
It wasn't long before the disease did take it's toll again.
Geraldine explained:"The following May I lost use of my right side and the results came back in the June 2006 that I had MS. My thoughts at the time were there are worse diseases out there.
"Somebody could have said 'you have cancer and you have six months to live'. But thankfully they didn't. With MS I didn't know an awful lot about it at the time, but I thought this is not going to kill me, I am a fighter and I will beat this. I thought I am not going to sit at home moping around, I'm going to go back to work."
Amazing support
She said the support she has had from MS Society has been amazing and has helped her understand the condition.
And she's decided while she's fit and able she's going to do as much as she can to raise money for the charity.
She added: "I have regained full use of my body which is great. I am now going to do the trek in Peru, I have decided while I am fit and able I will try and raise money for MS.
"I am probably pushing myself to a point because I might not always be able to do this. I am very optimistic and I wouldn’t let anything get in my way.”
It was Geraldine’s oldest daughter, Aoife (25), who nominated her for the Woman’s Way magazine award. She said she thought her mum was an ‘inspiration’ to her and other MS sufferers.
Geraldine revealed she was ‘mortified’ when she found out she had been one of the 15 finalists, because she said she didn’t feel worthy of the prestigious award.
But the judges saw past her modesty and could see her striking ability to not let the illness dominate her life - crowning her the winner.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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