BEFORE she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Whittlesea mum Jenny Wallis blamed her age for a lack of energy.

It wasn’t until she woke up one morning paralysed down one side that she knew something was wrong.

A trip to the neurologist for a CAT scan, MRI and spinal tap revealed she had the inflammatory brain disease Multiple Sclerosis. Coming to terms with her illness, Mrs Wallis began to look for a support group.

“Ten years ago, there was nothing available in the City of Whittlesea,” she said.

Taking matters into her own hands, Mrs Wallis founded the Neurological Disability Support (NDS) in 2002 as a social group for people with neurological disabilities.

The NDS is run solely by volunteers and has since grown to 23 members, with a range of neurological disabilities from MS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

“When you are diagnosed with a neurological disease, you can feel like you’re the only one... so the group gives them the opportunity to socialise with people who have a similar disability,” Mrs Wallis said.

“We have had a few people who have said if it wasn’t for NDS they wouldn’t be here - that’s the impact of this group.” For information, contact Jenny on 9404 1706 or Lynne on 9401 2179.