North Wexford woman shocked to learn she has MS after series of ankle injuries

Bernadette (Ben) Fortune from Ballygarrett was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of multiple sclerosis when she was just 35 years old. Now almost 42, she uses a wheelchair in the full-time care of her sister Jenny with whom she lives in Ballygarrett with their sister and two nieces.

After several falls, Ben visited numerous doctors and was told she had primary progressive MS (PPMS). “I had to go privately to pay for an MRI at EuroMedics in Dublin, then I had the MRI done and there was no one to read the results for me, so I went to Vincent Hospital .I did a lot of things like wood punctures to find out what it was,” she said.

Ben’s doctor, Professor Niall Tubridy, who is Ryan Tubridy’s brother, immediately suspected Ben was suffering from PPMS when he inspected his MRI. Further tests were performed as well as a wood puncture which showed legions on his brain and confirmed his diagnosis of PPMS.

“He is very good and straight to the point. He told me straight away that I had MS and, as far as he knew, I had the worst form of it. It affects the spine and the brain,” Ben said.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord.

There are three types of MS; recurrent, primary progressive and secondary progressive. Bernadette suffers from primary progressive MS, which affects around 10 to 15 percent of people diagnosed with MS.

Primary progressive MS (PPMS) is so called because it is progressive from the first symptoms. Early symptoms are often subtle, such as walking problems that develop over time and disability that gradually gets worse.

Ben began receiving treatment for his condition shortly after and had to travel to Dublin every month to receive an infusion called Tysabri. She now receives a different infusion every six months, which helps shrink the legions in her spine and brain.

Shortly after her diagnosis, Ben began using a wheelchair and although she found it was a big adjustment, what was even more difficult was the lack of accessibility in her local town.

“We have to plan all the time where we are going to go. There are also no bathrooms or toilets. This is a major problem. You would park and there’s someone behind you and you can’t get out of the car, so you have to turn around and go home. It’s horrible now,” Ben said.

Ben has stickers on the back of his wheelchair-friendly car that ask other drivers to leave several meters of space between their vehicles, but this is often ignored.

Parking, access to shops, toilets and public transport are some of the major challenges she has encountered around Gorey.

“There are not enough disabled parking spaces in the city. Parking, steps and ramps, pedestrian paths. “The sidewalks are too high for people in wheelchairs, especially on Esmonde Street and some shops will have tables and objects on the street in your way, as well as polling stations which may also interfere with opening the doors . There are also no buses in the Ballygarrett area and I rely entirely on the car,” she said.

Additionally, few stores in Gorey have wheelchair accessible ramps in place of their steps.

Ben is calling on Wexford County Council to implement changes to Gorey town to make it more accessible for everyone.

“A councilor would want to get in a wheelchair and try to get around Gorey to see what the problems are, because there are steps to get to the shops and you basically look in like an old dog because you have to sit outside,” Ben said.

Ben organized Jive for MS Ireland at 8pm. at the Ballygarrett GAA complex on June 10. All funds raised will be dedicated to MS research. Musicians Stacey Breen and the Hardy Bucks as well as Stephen Bennett and Kelan Browne from further afield will perform that evening. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and music will begin at 8 p.m.