My Story

Why I am fundraising for MS Together

My name is Stephen, and I’m running the London Marathon for MS Together — a charity that holds a very special place in my heart.

In 2023, my wife Emily was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It was a moment that shook our family. To make things even harder, we received the diagnosis just two days after our wedding — at the airport, about to leave for our honeymoon.

MS Together stepped in at a time when we needed it most. They reminded us that we weren’t alone. They connected us with a supportive, understanding community — not just for Emily as someone living with MS, but for me too, as a husband and father learning how to support her.

Emily is an incredible woman. Since her diagnosis, she’s faced every challenge with courage and determination. She’s checked things off her bucket list, stayed fully present with our family, and become a source of support for others aged 18–35 who have also recently been diagnosed. She is proof that life doesn’t end with MS — sometimes, it just resets.

While I’m running to raise funds for the amazing work MS Together does, this run is, above all, a tribute to my amazing wife.

About MS Together

MS Together is a charity based in the UK and Ireland, dedicated to ensuring that no one has to face multiple sclerosis (MS) alone.

The organisation provides support services and advice specifically for people affected by MS, with a particular focus on those aged 18 to 35. Their work fills a crucial gap for young adults who often find existing services don't reflect their specific needs and life stage.

There are over 150,000 people living with MS in the UK, and every week more than 135 people are diagnosed. Of those, over 2,500 are under the age of 35 – making MS the most common disabling neurological condition among young adults.

Thanks to advances in treatment, living with MS today can look very different than it did 20 years ago. Many young people with MS now face new possibilities and challenges – yet support services haven't always kept pace with these changes. That’s where MS Together plays a vital role.

The charity offers tailored social and mental health support for young adults across the UK and Ireland, particularly during the early and often overwhelming days following a diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with MS at any age is difficult, but for young adults – whether finishing school, navigating university, starting careers, dating, thinking about family, or travelling – the disruption can be especially intense. MS Together recognises how important it is to provide support during these critical life transitions.

Above all, MS Together aims to empower young people living with MS to share their stories, advocate for themselves, and live full, meaningful lives. They are committed to walking alongside the MS community through every up and down – because together, they believe, people are stronger.

About the London Marathon

The London Marathon has become an annual, inspiring and colourful fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since the inaugural race on 29 March 1981: a celebration of fun, fundraising and fancy dress.

Over the years more than a million people have completed the 26.2-mile course – which runs from Blackheath to The Mall, with a spectacular finish in front of Buckingham Palace, showcasing the very best that the capital city has to offer.

What’s more, these participants have raised over a billion pounds for charity and there have been countless amazing tales of human achievement throughout the event’s history – living up to its aim of helping participants ‘to have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world’.