On this page:

  A schoolgirl's dream
  Allowed no dignity
  Forgotten how to walk
  Olympic dreams
  Refused treatment

Swimmer Stephanie Millward’s ambition was to compete in the Olympics — until multiple sclerosis wrecked her dream. She was 17 and training with the British Olympic squad when things started to go wrong. Stephanie, from Bath, says: “I was in the national schools’ team and had just swum for England in the World Cup. “Swimming was taking me all over the world and I was training for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. “I was so excited. But strange things started happening. I noticed I couldn’t see the clock while I was training, I swam straight into the side of the pool once and then fell over getting out.” Her parents then paid for an MRI scan which showed she had MS.

Stephanie, previously a straight-A student, failed her A-levels because she couldn’t see the papers properly. She says “My whole life seemed to be falling apart. I’d hoped to go to college, study accountancy and swim in the Olympics. The only future I could see for myself was being stuck in a wheelchair. I seriously thought about ending my life.” She says: “I have good and bad days. With my type of MS, the symptoms are always there but some days are worse than others. “On a good day I can walk well, though my balance is bad, and see well enough to drive. During an attack my vision is terrible and I often use a wheelchair.”

She fought a six-month battle to get the expensive drug Beta Interferon, which reduces symptoms and stops the disease developing as fast. NHS managers finally agreed, though it had not been available in her area.

UPDATE April 2008

Stephanie Millward is going to the Beijing Paralympics

Stephanie destroyed her European 100m backstroke record today and qualified for Beijing in a time of 1:12.18 at the British Swimming Championships in Sheffield, crushing her own European record by three seconds. In doing so she also qualified for the final of the multi-disability women's open 100m backstroke. The qualifying time for Beijing was 1:15.00 which Stephanie, 26, comfortably beat with the quickest time in her heat.

Lorraine Wolstenholme has had to sleep in her wheelchair each night because the local health authority has banned staff from lifting her. She says she has been sleeping in the wheelchair for twelve months. It is increasing the pain of her condition and allows her no dignity. Lorraine, of Monkston, Milton Keynes, has multiple sclerosis and is unable to get in and out of bed by herself. Mrs Wolstenholme, who was diagnosed with MS in 1995, has involuntary spasms which the trust says are a danger to its staff. In a statement, the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust says Mrs Wolstenholme had been identified as a patient who would be difficult to lift manually due to her condition.

An independent expert supervised nursing staff lifting with the assistance of a hoist. The expert concluded there were still risks to both patient and staff and recommended that lifting cease pending further investigations. Mrs Wolstenholme, who now relies on the help of her 27-year-old daughter, sought an injunction from the courts to force the trust to carry on providing the service. On the basis of the expert's evidence, that injunction was not granted and proceedings have been adjourned. Mrs Wolstenholme says the alternative being offered is unacceptable. "It's a ludicrous and intolerable situation. What they try to do to you is give you 24-hour care which means you have to stay in bed all day. "I have been in that position when they withdrew the morning care."

I have been known to curtsey to people quite often when my right leg goes awol. I've also been walking downstairs and had to stop, it's as if I've forgotten how to walk and don't know how to get the rest of the way down. It was scary the first time but had a good laugh afterwards picturing myself trying to walk moving both legs at the same time. I was down on the beach one day and just fell down so I stayed sitting on the pebbles pretending that I'd meant to do it.

I'll tell you a bit about myself - lived and worked all over the country, finally getting married at the ripe old age of 38, after a whirlwind romance. Moved to Brighton where I fulfilled my schoolgirl dream by going into veterinary nursing. I had been having problems with my balance since April 2001 and my legs kept going all rubbery.

I had similar problems years before in 1991 but tests proved inconclusive and the symptoms just vanished and were quickly forgotten about. I lost the sight in my right eye last December and had other symptoms too - Pins and needles, numbness, terrible problems with my short term memory and my speech became very slurred.

I was diagnosed in April. My consultant said it was relapsing / remitting MS but since December its been all relapse and no remission. I'm now quite disabled and need a wheelchair to go out and I get the most horrible sensory pain in my chest and back like I'm being squeezed by a tight, burning band. I also have this in my ankles and wrists and today its been at the top of my legs. Needless to say I've had to give up a job I adored, and I've barely seen the light of day for several months.