Breaking down the barriers

Laxmi is 21 years old. She was born in one of Mumbai’s slums and has two elder brothers and a younger sister. When she was just 10 years old, Laxmi was diagnosed with MS.

She first started having problems at school when, due to constant attacks of MS, she became blind in one eye and had trouble with concentration and fatigue.

Due to a lack of awareness about MS in her community, Laxmi was removed from school. When the MS Society of India (MSSI) heard about this, the team arranged to meet with the school principle. Following their meeting, he agreed to allow Laxmi go back to school and offered her some extra support.

At home, Laxmi’s parents worked all day to support their children, leaving Laxmi in charge of household chores. Eventually, balancing housework with her education became impossible and so she had to stop going to school.

MSSI continued to support Laxmi, but her health was getting worse. To support her family, Laxmi started work at a factory, working 12 hours a day. After work, she would return home to carry out the household chores, all of which was taking its toll on her health. But she carried on, with a smile on her face.

Things are different now. With the support of a donor, MSSI has brought huge change to Laxmi’s life. They supported her to enrol onto courses in typing, computer operating and English language. With these new skills, Laxmi is now working in a clerical post in the MSSI office.

MSSI showed faith and understanding in Laxmi and as a result, her confidence has grown enormously, which has changed her outlook on life.

This year, Laxmi attended MSSI’s World MS Day celebrations. She was part of a group of young people with MS who shared their inspiring stories about how they are working to break down different types of barriers to access.

One donor changed Laxmi’s life. Could that be you?

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Laxmi spoke about her journey at a World MS Day event in Mumbai

The MS Society of India (MSSI) awarded Laxmi with a cash prize for her achievements during the World MS Day event in Mumbai