Social Networking Site For Sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis

George Pepper, 26, from Leeds, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when he was just 22.

His speech became slurred, his vision blurred, walking became difficult and he vomited continuously. He even lost feeling in his body, meaning that he couldn’t feel temperatures. So he tested bath water by drinking it! In the first 15 months after his diagnosis, George had seven relapses.

He didn’t know much about his condition, so he tried to find people in his age group that he could discuss it with. But, he says, all the sufferers he met at the hospital were far older. He adds: Peer support would have been a great benefit.

So he decided to solve this problem for other young people. He’s set up a social networking site for young people with MS called Shift. ms. It tackles all kinds of issues that concern them,  from work to dating. George says:

The website is somewhere for people with MS to find advice and to be encouraged to do all the things they have always done. It is in your 20s and 30s that you are making decisions about your career, relationships, and the future, so having peer support is a great comfort and a practical benefit. There are also a number of tricky issues where sharing experiences can help, such as how to tell a date that you have MS.We also have a section on the website called ‘sex drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ – where people can discuss things that they perhaps do not want to ask their doctor, such as ‘can I continue taking my ecstasy now I have MS?” And because the site is aimed specifically at the young it uses social networking sites and encourages people to upload their own videos.

The site has been praised by professionals and leading MS charities. Dr Simon Shields, a neurologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said:

One major benefit of this site is that it is designed with young people who are using the internet a lot and it is fun to use. It also has the ability to create contacts so people can interact in a way that other websites cannot. MS is fairly well supported medically, but if you have a problem or feel embarrassed the access is often easier to talk to someone who is going through it.I have learnt a lot from patients who come and tell me about their experiences and keeps me current – sometimes more than medical journals.

Jane Spink of the MS Society added:

There has been a distinct lack of appropriate information and support for children and young people affected by MS, and the MS Society has worked hard to improve this. It’s good to see ‘Shift.ms’ exploring the niche of social networking.

George hopes the website will allow young people with MS to meet other sufferers with similar interests, offline as well as online.

George Pepper has come out of a very difficult time in his own life with a very positive attitude and a wish to help others like himself. He is truly DisAbled, and an inspiration to anyone, whatever their DisAbility. I wish him the best of luck with the website, and in his life.