[Editor’s note: Adrienne sadly passed away in February 2012. Over the last 31 years, she spent thousands of hours making life better for people affected by MS. Her no-nonsense approach, humour and dedication will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by everyone at the MS Society.]
I’ve been volunteering since I was 10 years old, and for past 31 years I’ve been a volunteer with the MS Society. I know I was young when I started! but then, 65 is the new 45 …
Why do I do it? Because I hope it makes a difference to people affected by MS. I know how important it is to speak to someone who’s been in the same place, and who knows that MS doesn’t always stand for ‘Monday’s Suck’.
I started as a volunteer in the North West with the Wirral branch, when members with MS were called ‘patients’. I became newsletter editor, then website editor, then chair, which just shows how short of volunteers they were then!
Nine years ago I moved to the south east, to a more rural area with a much smaller branch and, after they got used to my accent and my Merseyside humour, I eventually became newsletter editor, website editor and branch chair.
The time I spend volunteering can vary from week to week but every hour is essential, and rewarding.
Since I've had MS I've had two husbands, two children, six grandchildren and moved 13 times. The one constant in all this is my MS. When I was diagnosed, I was told a cure was just around the corner - it’s certainly the longest corner in history!
But, when I eventually get round the corner it’s my dream that there will be no need for an MS Society - because there will be a cure for MS.
The time I spend volunteering can vary from week to week, but every hour is essential, and rewarding.
Find out more about volunteering .
Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity nos 1139257 / SC041990. Registered as a limited company in England and Wales 07451571
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