Jessica Sheaffe

Lying in a hospital bed in China at just 19 years of age, Jessica Sheaffe had no idea that two letters were about to become such a major part of her life. Jessica completed high school in 2006 and was loving her new-found freedom and independence, achieving her long-time goal of working overseas.

In May 2008, Jess was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and suddenly found herself in a world of MRI's and lumbar punctures. Her new objective: get out of the wheelchair.

Two months later Jess was walking again and after accepting the turn her life had taken, she began to see just how wrongly MS was interpreted in society. As she opened up to friends and family, she was constantly told that "she was too young to have MS." Jess admits that she, too, had been ignorant to the condition until she was diagnosed.

"Everybody does the MS Readathon at school, but too few people actually know what MS is, who it affects, or how many ways it can affect them," she says. Jess then set about getting her life back together and started telling whoever would listen about MS, realising that with her diagnosis came a responsibility to educate the community.

Jess is now working towards a Bachelor of International Studies at the University of Wollongong and is hoping to return to China for a holiday within the year. While she has now had two stints in the wheelchair and is forever working to overcome fatigue, Jess remains optimistic about her future. "You have to approach each bad day with the knowledge that a better one is just around the corner." Through her role as an MS Ambassador, Jess hopes to link a young face with the illness and to dispel the many misconceptions about MS. "MS is a manageable condition - it's not life threatening and with a positive attitude it is possible to live a normal life."

If you would like to book an MS Ambassador call 02 9468 8300 or email ambassadors-nsw@msaustralia.org.au