Samantha McCarthy – Clare | MS Journeys
For Samantha McCarthy from Co. Clare, World MS Day is an important opportunity to show that it is possible to live a full and positive life with MS.
“It is an opportunity to show that you can live a full and positive life with MS.”
For Samantha, living with MS has been both challenging and revealing.
“It teaches you how to become resilient and how to try to live in the present moment.”
She says MS has not changed who she is as a person, but it has deepened her sense of gratitude and helped her maintain a positive outlook.
“I am fortunate that despite the challenges that MS has presented me with, significant disability has thankfully never set in, for which I am very grateful. I still try to remain very positive.”
For someone newly diagnosed, Samantha’s message is calm and reassuring.
“Breathe, pause, and do not look too far into the future. Do not panic.”
Support from family, friends and the wider MS community has been a steady source of strength throughout her journey.
“Family and friends have been my rock, they have kept me steady, even on the days when I felt very unsteady.”
She says being part of the MS community brings reassurance and understanding.
“It means feeling that I am not alone in this journey.”
Samantha is open about some of the challenges of living with MS, including fatigue and uncertainty.
“Not just normal fatigue but a tiredness that gets right into every cell in your system.”
She also highlights the practical challenges that can arise when navigating systems such as insurance and healthcare.
What helps her most is the support of her family and focusing on her wellbeing.
Samantha is proud of the life she has built while living with MS.
“I got married, reared a beautiful boy, worked hard. I became a yoga teacher. I helped to set up a cycling club.”
She is also keen to challenge misconceptions about MS.
Her message to others living with MS is simple:
“Breathe, pause, and do not look too far into the future. All that we are guaranteed in life is the present moment.”
Samantha’s story is one of resilience, gratitude and perspective, and a reminder that life with MS can still be full and meaningful.
Samantha’s MS Diagnosis Journey
