A joint venture has kicked off, supporting more than 1000 multiple sclerosis sufferers in the region to live independently or to stay in their own homes.
In a first for the Sunshine Coast, the charity MS Queensland and local service provider Comlink Australia have teamed up to empower and support clients to live full and independent lives from their own homes.
The two organisations are working collaboratively to provide a more diverse range of resources and support to the region’s MS sufferers and the ageing community.
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MS Queensland ambassador and Sunshine Coast local Colin Chandler knows firsthand the importance of having the right support, having been diagnosed with primary progressive MS in 2015.
“MS Queensland is extraordinarily important, the organisation and services it offers have been helping me pretty much from the moment I got the diagnosis,” Mr Chandler said.
“The type of MS I have, tends to be like a long, slow dive off the edge and it tends to attack the mobility more rapidly. I’ve also had some weakening in my arms and hands and fatigue.
“It slows you down and you’ve got to revaluate how you live your life at a slower pace and what are you going to do to replace the things that you can’t do.”
While Mr Chandler has found the ocean is his healing force, whether it be surfing in it with his modified board or painting it, he said not all sufferers are lucky enough to have re-established their independence.
That’s where advances in support, like the new partnership will make all the difference.
“The breakthroughs that are coming in treatments are fabulous, but the breakthroughs in support are just as important,” Mr Chandler said.
“I think this a fantastic step in such an important direction and in the end will mean freedom for so many people.”
MS Queensland and Comlink Australia are now both operating under the one roof at Vitality Village, located near the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
MS Queensland CEO, David Curd, said the organisation was delighted to partner with Comlink Australia and is excited at the opportunities the Vitality Village is offering to build a healthier Sunshine Coast community.
“The Sunshine Coast is home to more than 1000 people living with MS or other neurological conditions,” Mr Curd said.
“Across Queensland, there are more than 4000 people living with MS and up to 100,000 people living with other neurological conditions. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been touched by one of those diagnoses.
“Both MS Queensland and Comlink Australia, across all of our service locations throughout Queensland, are committed to assisting people to stay in their own homes, or living independently if they can’t be at home.
“The combination of the resources and support from both organisations come together beautifully for that objective.”
Comlink Australia CEO, Liam Mayo said the organisation was thrilled to be able to offer its services to a wider audience as well as being able to offer its clients the support and resources available through MS Queensland.
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