Amy Thompson

I was diagnosed with MS just after my 21st birthday back in 2018. I searched social media and charity websites to try to find other young individuals living with MS but I found little representation in the places I turned to. The information and services did not resonate with me and I felt very alone with my condition.

I decided to blog my experiences online, gaining over 20,000 followers through my channels @butyoudontlookill. I also featured in several charity campaigns, podcasts and media interviews to raise awareness of MS and share my story. Through this, I met other young adults with MS and soon realised there were hundreds looking for support, and that there were gaps for these individuals in the services provided by other MS organisations.

So in 2019, I founded MS Together. Starting with a handful of friends who connected online, the organisation grew rapidly between 2020–2021, becoming a registered charity in 2022. Today, the charity provides services of advice and support to people affected by MS, with a particular focus on those aged 18–35 living with MS in the UK and Ireland.

MS Together supports thousands of individuals across the UK and Ireland through virtual and in-person events, educational webinars, an online support network, and mental health support. Our work was first recognised back in 2021, when MS Together won the Community Organisation Award for Disability at the National Diversity Awards, for our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and our work in connecting communities.

My goal for the charity is to connect people and be there from the moment they are diagnosed, providing a care-free and stigma-free space to meet others who understand what it is like to live with MS as a young adult. And also to change the societal perception of MS as an elderly person’s disease, ensuring healthcare professionals are aware of the specific needs of young adults.

I feel incredibly passionate about changing the lives of people living with MS and I will continue to work to do that – both personally in my own networks and through my own platforms, and also through MS Together.