World MS Day: My MS Diagnosis
World MS Day is celebrated on 30 May every year, and we’re proud to have organised a number of initiatives to acknowledge and celebrate this day of significance with our Clients, staff and the wider WA community.
This year’s theme, ‘My MS Diagnosis,’ provides a great opportunity to start a conversation and raise awareness about MS. We can all bring attention to the barriers and challenges faced by people living with this condition, while highlighting the importance of continued advocacy, research and education to ensure a brighter future for the MS community.
Art Without Limits Exhibition
In celebration of the incredible artistic talents of the WA neurological community, MSWA unveiled the Art Without Limits exhibition in the heart of Perth city, Central Park Tower.
Showcased in the lobby of Central Park Tower, the exhibition featured a variety of stunning pieces, from sensory art and intricate handiwork to fine art drawings. It was truly a testament to the diversity of talent within our community of artists at MSWA. The exhibition ran for five days, and the public was welcomed to marvel at the pieces and start a conversation in acknowledgement of World MS Day.
Our Client artists were also invited to a morning tea to celebrate the exhibition. They were beaming with joy and pride as they wandered through the space, admired the pieces and snapped some photos with their works.
"I like to create junk journals using recycled paper to create scrapbooks. This is the first time I’ve created a hanging piece, but I still wanted to make it interactive, so you can pull out letters and cards from the artwork. It’s also the first time I’ve included photos of my family in my art – there are photos of mum, dad and granddad on there too!" Client artist, Susan Finlay shared.
I could not have imagined my artwork would be displayed here in the city! My artwork is inspired by an old house in York, where I used to live in many years ago.
Sheila Hayfield, Client artist
Quiz Night for MS
In an MSWA first, we hosted a Quiz Night at the Perth Town Hall in celebration of World MS Day. Families, carers, and MSWA team members came together for a night of friendly competition, with a quiz night hosted by Bamboozled Quizmasters.
Our participants were exceptionally skilled at the quizzes, so much so that we had a three-way tie for first place! Ironically, team ‘The Participation Award’ emerged victorious, winning first place, beating team ‘Lord Ne-Yo’ and team ‘Brand-Aids’.
Wendy Lowe, Dion Russell and Angelica Franz were the lucky winners of our raffle, with thanks to our sponsors State Buildings, Retravision and Optus Stadium for donating some incredible prizes. Over $800 was raised to help set-up the new Butler Outreach pilot program.
Wendy Lowe, Dion Russell and Angelica Franz were the lucky winners of our raffle, with thanks to our sponsors State Buildings, Retravision and Optus Stadium for donating some incredible prizes. Over $800 was raised to help set-up the new Butler Outreach pilot program.
Perth lights up red
Iconic landmarks and bridges across Perth were lit up red in recognition of World MS Day!
This included:
- Fraser Avenue Tree Lights - King's Park
- Council House
- Trafalgar Bridge
- Matagarup Bridge
- Mount Street Bridge
- Northbridge Tunnel, Sky Ribbon
- Joondalup Drive Bridge
The WA community was encouraged to take photos and spread awareness of the day with the hashtag #WorldMSDay.
Hunting for red hearts
MSWA team members also celebrated World MS Day with a fun Heart Challenge! Chocolate hearts were hidden across our offices and service centres, with staff encouraged to be on the look-out and share their exciting findings. Senior Physiotherapy Assistant, Zoe Harrisson, found a chocolate heart near the coffee corner at the Beechboro hub – her usual first stop when she arrives for work!
To view photos from our World MS Day events visit the photo gallery.
Thank you to everyone who contributed this World MS Day by sharing their stories, raising awareness and campaigning for change for West Australians living with MS.
