Can you be silent for 48 hours to help raise money?
MS is a serious chronic and progressive illness affecting the body’s nerves that can render a person disabled. It affects the brain and spinal cord resulting in loss of muscle control, vision, balance, numbness or thinking ability. There are around 100,000 people in the UK with MS, and 2.5 million worldwide.
WHY THE "SILENCE?"
Shift.ms aims to provide support to those recently diagnosed with MS, reducing the isolation that many feel following their diagnosis. Most are diagnosed in their twenties and thirties and on receiving the life changing news, they experience a great sense of loneliness and fear. Shift.ms has created a social network where MSers can unite, break the silence and gain support from one another. George Pepper, who has MS himself, set the charity up in 2009. He was diagnosed at 22 and wants to prevent others from suffering in silence, the way he did. George found it difficult to find other MSers of a similar age in a similar situation, even online. This frustration led him to set up a website - www.shift.ms - where MSers could meet and share experiences.
Shift.ms now has thousands of members who support one another through its social network and forums:
“When diagnosed with MS I felt as though no one understood what I was feeling. I wanted to be cured. I didn't want to be ill.
"My parents tried to help, but their constant concerned looks and hushed voices, rather than being supportive, only amplified my concerns, added to the worry and created a guilt. Nurses had all of the medical answers, told me what I needed to know at the time but were the first to admit, they don't have MS so don't really understand. For me that is what Shift.ms offers, a place to ask what you need to, get the support from those that understand and to be part of a community that is all going through the same thing. Fears were set aside, friendships made, and questions answered.” Gemma Grant, 30, Sheffield
Shift.ms are recruiting a silent army across the UK. The 48 hour sponsored silence is something that anyone can get involved in. Shift.ms will encourage fundraisers not to isolate in their silence but to continue as usual – go to work, to the pub, have a haircut….– and interact with as many people as possible.
Shift.ms has set up a platform - www.silence.ms - where images and thoughts can be shared on social media throughout the silent journey.
What were your last words before the silence and what were your first words after the 48 hours?
Co-founder of Shift.ms, George Pepper, said: “Shift.ms’ focus is on reducing isolation and providing social support for recently diagnosed MSers. The sponsored silence challenge will not be easy as talking is our natural instinct (the average person says up to 20,000 words per day) but this challenge can be fun. Shift.ms wants to create an inclusive fundraiser that can involve the very audience it’s raising money for. I look forward to taking part in the silence, although my baby daughter will be nine weeks old by then and soothing her in silence may be tricky!”
To take part in the 48hr silence from 1900 on the 20th November visit www.silence.ms. Sign up and Shift.ms will send you a silence pack to help you with the fundraising challenge.
You can find out more about the campaign here: www.silence.ms
Tagged in Charity