May 2014 155

Fr. Stuart - Mary, alive in the Spirit Johnnette Benkovic on Retreat in Gibraltar Fr. George Grima needs our help in Ethiopia Gibraltar Interfaith Group Arts Competition Results Codealia - A new initiative in IT Education for Girls Gibraltar a new Carers JOY TO ALL MENMS ANDSociety PEACE TOstarts MANKIND friend Group us on

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Mary,

Fr. Stuart’s teaching on Mary’s role at

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o hear, to hope in the truth, and then to know beyond any doubt, that her son was alive. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

There must have been tears of joy. At some point during her personal anguish over the suffering and obvious fate of Jesus, Mary probably recalled the words that old Simeon had spoken to her thirty-three

years earlier: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2: 34-35). As strange as the collective experiences of her life had to be as the mother of God Himself, Mary carried out her responsibility as the child’s mother. She did not always understand what Jesus said to her (Luke 2:50). But as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with both man and His heavenly Father, Mary noted it all and patiently waited to see what would become of her son and His divine mission. Unfortunately, Mary would witness something that no mother ever wants to see - the death of her child, her own flesh and blood, the baby that she sheltered in her womb for nine months. And

Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi Production Editor: A. Sargent angela@europeaxess.com Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project.

For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by Fr. Stuart EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese Johnnette Benkovic Fr. George Grima of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the Gibraltar Interfaith Group accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views Codealia Gibraltar MS Society and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views Cover: Johnnette Benkovic with the and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by ladies at the weekend retreat. virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or Photo: A. Sargent. advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration.

- Mary, alive in the Spirit

on Retreat in Gibraltar

needs our help in Ethiopia

Arts Competition Results

- A new initiative in IT Education for Girls

a new Carers JOY TO ALL MEN AND PEACE TOstarts MANKIND friend Group us on

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Pentecost

alive in the

Spirit

Dear Friends, How unspeakably wonderful that first Easter was for Mary, the mother of Jesus! yet she willingly served the Lord by bearing this Child so that He could live, and die, and of course, ultimately rise again. The example that Mary provided to us in the time of her sorrow is beautifully expressed in the following passage taken from Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey “On Golgotha Mary chose to remain to the end and witness the suffering of her son until his death. She was not under arrest and could have walked away. She knew she could not change what was happening before her by arguing with the soldiers or pleading with the high priests.

The only decision she was free to make was to choose to remain and enter into Jesus’ suffering.

Indeed a sword passed through her heart, and in the process, once again, she became a model for Christian discipleship.”

I like to think of Mary on Pentecost Day, listening to Peter’s preaching, and witnessing the result of 3,000 souls being baptized unto salvation. She

A Note on the Artwork: Jean Restoute was a hugely successful artist working in Paris in the 16th Century. He painted Pentecost in 1735. He has shown that moment when the Holy Spirit descends upon the Disciples as they

prayed with Mary the Mother of Christ in an upper room.

The painting currently hangs in the Louvre, Paris. It was originally wider, and had an arched top which would perhaps encompassed a depiction of the Holy Spirit.

certainly would have continued her personal witness too – her witness to the incarnation and its purpose for all humanity.

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour...”

(Luke 2:46-47)

Mary, Mother of the Risen Jesus, Pray for us God Bless you, † Fr. Stuart

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Our Lady of Europe

The Bishop of the Forces, the Rt. Rev Richard Moth with Fr. Danny Hernandez after the Blessing of Holy Oils and Consecration of Chrism at the Cathedral of St Michael and St George, Aldershot, UK.

The

Annual Procession of Our Lady of Europe

will take place on Wednesday 21stMay. The Procession will start at 6:30pm from St. Bernard’s Church. There will be a Eucharistic Celebration upon arrival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe, at approximately 7pm. All welcome.

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1 - 2 pm in ST. THERESA’S Take part in this Worldwide Prayer Hour in St. Theresa’s Parish church Gibraltar to pray for the conversion of youth

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Brendan’s

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rendan Roche is asking for our support to raise funds for a charity with long links to Gibraltar.

The Lords Taverners is a unique charity, raising money to “give young people a sporting chance”. The organisation encourages children, especially those with disabilities, to enjoy outdoor recreational activities and participate in sport. The charity was formed in 1950 and HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, is the Patron. They first came to Gibraltar in 1992 with the aid of Lt. Col. Leo Callow, MBE BEM, of the Royal Irish Regiment. At that time, they carried out all kinds of activities on the Rock and succeeded in raising enough funds to purchase a special minibus for

MiniBus

Appeal

use by St. Bernadette’s and Special Olympics. Brendan was successful in obtaining a new minibus in 2006, at a cost of £48,000. Last year the charity raised an estimated £100,000 through sponsorship for the London Marathon. With these funds they were able to put an additional fifty minibuses on the road, for those with special needs. This year, Brendan is joining the Royal Irish Regiment and the Lord’s Taverners’ eighty strong team in London to run the

twenty-six mile marathon and again help raise funds to be put towards the cost of these special minibuses.

Any contribution in support of this charity (no matter how small) is much appreciated, either send it to the address below or through Virgin Money Giving website.

Yours sincerely, Brendan Roche. http://uk.virginmoneygiving. com/BrendanRoche1 Or by post: Brendan’s Appeal, c/o Image Graphics, P.O.Box 862, Gibraltar.

Brendan on the 2014 London Marathon last month.

Letter to the Editor

Church Etiquette

Answering mobile phones in church has now, unfortunately, become the norm. Some years ago this was not the case, people were embarrassed if their phone rang, and would rush out of the building. Nowadays phones are left on, ignoring the signs asking for them to be switched off. One lady told me, her grandchildren needed to be in contact. I have seen a grandmother sitting on the step in front of an altar speaking on the phone while her grandchildren played havoc in the church. Recently a lady went up to communion having a conversation on her mobile and did not stop until she was before the Host.

There are even worse examples of unacceptable behavior.

Recently two ladies came to Mass with their dogs. The lady with the larger one sat in the front pew, and the lady with the smaller dog could not control her pet when it saw the bigger animal. Both ladies took their dogs up to Communion. Where will it end?

Is this acceptable? Would we behave like this if the Queen were in church? Why then, when we are in the presence the King of Kings?

Name withheld.

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Looking back on lent 2014

Lenten talks

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ishop Ralph Heskett gave a thought provoking and sometimes challenging series of Lenten Meditations, ‘edited highlights’ from Nouwen’s great work, inspired

by Rembrandt’s painting, the ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’. The spotlight on His Lordship’s shoulders, as his eloquent words embraced the Friday lunchtime

congregations, uncannily reflected the lighting on the Father’s shawl as he hugged his son in the painting.

Most of the Cathedral apse was veiled in scaffolding, during lent, creating an almost wartime scene, but the clergy and deacons calmly carried on, and in due course a lighter, brighter environment was revealed.

Lenten lunches

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his year, as in previous years, Kings Chapel was host venue to the increasingly popular ‘Lenten Lunches’.

Lashings of hot tasty soup, and thick wedges of bread are teamed up with cheese and chutney, to make a mouthwatering feast almost too good to qualify as a penance!

The ecumenical menus are prepared by different Christian parishes in

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rotation and it seems to me, the Music Room is getting almost too small to hold the crowd!

After the self-service buffet, the helpers deftly work the tables, squeezing between the diners to clear the empties and bring piping hot coffee and tea, as their guests settle in for a chin-wag.

The dinner ladies on duty above are from St. Bernard’s Parish Church.

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Gibraltar Interfaith Group Arts Competition

Minister Licuidi with 1st Prize Winners in each Category

1st Prize Artwork

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The Panel of Judges

Main Photo: H.E. The Governor and Lady Dutton, and Minister Licuidi, and Minister Sacramento with the Gibraltar Interfaith Group

are so many different faiths represented... all living completely in harmony with each other.”

In his introduction Mr. Levi Attias, the Chairman of GIG, explained that the Group aims to help build a culture where “I value my relationship with you, your relationship with God, and I have no intention of persuading you to change this.”

Minister Licuidi summed up these sentiments,

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‘If the rest of the world could see this shining example we have here, it would be a different place.’ He then praised the standard of artwork and essays before presenting the prizes.

On behalf of the Judges, Mr. Momy Levy described what a privilege it was to adjudicate the competition. He also presented his postcard with local leaders of Faiths joining hands.

Winning Entries were printed in The Gibraltar Chronicle

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All photos © Mark Viales, The Gibraltar Chronicle

n the 3rd of April, His Excellency the Governor, Sir James Dutton was accompanied by Lady Elisabeth Dutton to the Gibraltar Interfaith Group (GIG) Schools Art and Essay Competition prize giving ceremony at the John Mackintosh Hall.

Speaking at the event, His Excellency encouraged those present as he described the “Pleasures of living in Gibraltar where there

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t the age of 52, in 1913, the inventor of the Oldsmobile, Ransom E. Olds, embarked on a grand undertaking, developing over 37,000 acres of land on the northern shores of Tampa Bay, Florida, into a bustling community.

His intention was to create a luxury, holiday and leisure destination on the Florida shores.

The timing was not right with the US descending into the difficult years of the great depression, however, the town prospered due to its strategic location midway between the two larger cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa. The people of Oldsmar still celebrate their links with Ransom Olds and that part of their town’s history every year with ‘Oldsmar Days and Nights’, where residents and visitors take part in parades, and car shows featuring the Oldsmobile, of course.

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On the morning of July 16th, 1971, one of Oldsmar’s more recent residents had woken up in her dormitory on Penn. State University Campus, looked in the mirror and did not like what she saw.

In the late sixties, American Universities were experiencing a clash of cultures, the conservative Christian era against Eastern influences. The background music of the era was Hard Rock and Roll. The Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar’, of which Mick Jagger says “The lyric was all to do with the dual combination of drugs and girls”, had been Number One in the charts earlier that year.

Johnnette Benkovic was fortunate, by the grace of God, as she looked at the person staring back at her on the morning of her 21st birthday, she grew afraid, very afraid of what her future

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Invites us to retake a

culture of Life, Life in Abundance would hold if she continued on the same course.

She experienced a kind of epiphany, she ran out of her dorm, fleeing what she had seen, but the bright daylight was too strong, so she found her way into a subterranean bar, a student hang-

out, trying to escape the ‘light’, looking for a darkness, perhaps a permanent ‘darkness’. There, she cried, she could feel how far she had strayed from God and her twelve years of parochial Catholic School where she had been taught by religious sisters. She started to

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look at the world around her with new eyes.

At that time their was a crisis in Western civilisation that resulted in a clash of the Judeo Christian ethos, built on it’s codified law and legislation, and the rising new philisophical movements, nationalism, rationalism, secularism, and humanism, largely through Eastern influences, which held that ‘We can determine our own moral code, through study and substance use we would discover that we are the centre of the Universe.’

Johnnette was an English Literature student, and was familiar with James Joyce’s descriptions of epiphany, how the existential past can be given an opening to the future through the kairos of the moment. Johnnette believes that she was given the grace in that moment to see what her future would have been if she continued on the same path.

She did a deal then, with a God that she was not sure even existed at that time; if he would show her a sign that he loved her, she would mend her ways, and if she did not receive a sign, well, then He could not hold her accountable for her actions.

As she walked out of the bar into the bright July sunshine, a full rainbow shone down on her tear streaked face, there were no clouds just the rainbow. She took this as the sign she had asked for and from that day forth began a long walk back to Christ.

Johnnette’s path led her to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal which she joined in 1981, and in 1997 she was offered her first radio show, broadcasting an evangelical message was to become the direction of her life’s work, and she now has her own show on EWTN. She found herself invited to speak, mainly to women, and sometimes women with ‘everything’; careers, beautiful homes, and maybe on a second or third marriage, but miserable, on tranquilizers, regularly visiting ‘shrinks’, completely disillusioned with life.

Johnnette felt called to put together a conference called ‘Women of Grace’® and this was the basis of her Foundational Study Course which she developed over two years.

Now over 50,000 women have completed the Course, not only in the USA, but in Japan, Malasia and the Republic of Ireland. It was in the Republic of Ireland that Dr. Monique Risso saw Johnnette speak live two years ago. Monique was due to visit her God-daughter in Galway, as she planned a tour of the places of interest there, she discovered

that Johnnette was scheduled to give talks at the same time in Knock. And having heard her speak Monique introduced the Course here, invited her to come and visit, and two years later, Johnnette this has come to pass.

What is the message that so many women have found

irresistible?

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he core of the message, given by Johnnette to her audience on Retreat at the Catholic Community Centre last month, is intended for women of great soul.

Women who desire to do great things for the Lord, in their families, for their children, their culture, in their work, in medicine and in academia, by the virtue of the grace of their authentic femininity. Our Lady’s ‘Fiat’(Yes), fertilized by God-given life, is the ultimate example to women who say ‘Yes’ to becoming impregnated with the Gospel. This is the ‘Age of Mary’ and the age of her daughters. The work requires women who seek to be ‘in persona Maria’ and allow Our Lord to work in and through them to transform the day and time in which we live.

We are to be foundation stones.

We are invited to be like the

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stonemasons of old who carved granite rocks on which great houses of prayer were built. But we are called to build a culture of life, femininity, emotions, heart and soul. So young women in the future can grow up knowing their femininity, and that through who they are as women, that salvation may come.

Johnnette was in no doubt that she was meant to be here in Gibraltar, on the threshold of mainland Europe. While her own grandparents came from Glasgow in Scotland and from Germany, her husband, whose father was Croatian, worked for the Prudential Insurance Comapany, and she was very familiar with the reputation of the Rock, which forms the company’s logo, and stands for stability all around the world.

She was not surprised that the Rock has been fought over, for it is indeed a prize, a strategic location and in choosing this city for her first landfall in Europe, the Lord is calling His Gibraltarian daughters to be steadfast in the Cause, a light to the rest of Europe. She encouraged us to be as saints, to retake a culture of Life, in our own community, and all the countries around us.

Johnnette asked for a new indwelling of the Holy Spirit that the women of Gibraltar may, ‘in persona Maria,’ lean into the cause, that God’s will may be done, in such a time as this.

Emails for Johnnette: info@womenofgrace.com Women of Grace® Course in Gibraltar info contact Dr. Monique Risso, moniquerisso@hotmail.com or on Mobile +350 56001313.

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odealia is the name of an educational initiative headed up by Pete Boucher, in association with Agile Ventures – a project incubator group formed from the ‘edX Engineering Software as a Service’ course offered online by the University of California, Berkley, USA.

BACKGROUND

Pete had been teaching his two seven year old girls to code, that is, to write the programming languages that computers use to run applications, at home after school.

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Angela Sargent talks to Pete Boucher about a new education initiative.

I’m Codealia–Teaching Code Could youR Girls have a future Career in

Software Engineering

from Home?

At the end of the University course, Pete proposed the building of an online learning space specially designed for such young children, to his fellow students.

The group’s objective is to encourage more women into software engineering fields.

Women’s representation in the computing and information technology work force has been falling. An imbalanced noninclusive workforce that fails to embrace women’s particular talents neglects the fact that women have surpassed men in Internet usage since the year 2000. The name ‘Codealia’ was chosen for the project by Swedish student Lucinda Nanami, the first client. She is eager to teach girls how to code and is running the first pilot classroom, along with her friend Tomas Ochman.

Jane Margolis, a researcher at the UCLA College of Education, has extensively analysed the gender divide in Computer Science, she reports “We found that very early on, computing is claimed as male territory. At each step from early childhood through college, computing is both actively claimed as ‘guy stuff’ by boys and men, and parents,

and passively ceded by girls and women. The claiming is largely the work of a culture and society that links interest and success with computers to boys and men.”

Pete has shared the source code amongst volunteer student developers all over the world.

At the moment there is a team of six developers involved but two more have come on board recently and are getting up to speed. The developers get together every day in ‘scrum meetings’ utilizing Google Hangouts to address issues that have come up over the last 24 hours and plan the next 24 hours work. As more students are joining all the time, they can watch the progress of the project through the ‘pair programming’ sessions (when participants work in pairs) that are published on YouTube, or read the documentation. This is a way for them to find out more about the project to decide if they want to join and maybe learn something.

That is core to the purpose of the Agile Ventures group; to help students learn software engineering by doing it.

and emotionally. Maya and Lucy are enjoying their twice weekly coding sessions, and no matter what career options they select in the future, they will have benefited through learning more about how computers, and computer programs work.”

FUNDING

Pete goes on to explain, “Releasing the project as open source software allows others to extend and modify the platform to fit their own needs. But we would like to pay our developers to make the project more

sustainable.

As it is voluntary, the turnover of helpers is quite fluid, they come and go, but their work is still valid as by using the review tools, anyone can jump in at any time to work on the project.”

Pete has started a crowd funding campaign which closes next month, he is looking for donations to increase the stainability of the Codealia educational software project.

If you would like to get involved or donate, Google (search for) Codealia.org

Software Engineers research, design, develop and maintain software systems. They may work in an office setting, but telecommuting, or remote working options are becoming a more common perk.

With the demand for web applications and the development of cloud computing, opportunities for software engineers are plentiful.

The group already have another client; ‘Hatch After School’ is an extra curriculum club based in Austin Texas, and they are going to be tracking boys and girls using Codealia to learn coding.

Pete enjoys his work “Software engineering is one of the most rewarding jobs, both financially

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Opening the door of

Heaven “Blessed are those that can give without remembering, and receive without forgetting”

C

atching up with Fr. George Grima, on his annual visit to the Rock from Ethiopia and far away places, I listened while he thanked, with a full heart, those who have helped his Mission in any way over the past year.

“This helps make all the difference”, he stated simply.

For over twenty five years, the founder of the Missionary Movement “Jesus in thy neighbour” has served the poor, especially children in Brazil, Kenya and Ethiopia.

All children are under twelve years of age, some are orphans, some suffer from AIDS, and

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some have a mental or physical disability. Pope John Paul II on a visit to Africa, proclaimed loudly “misery seeks love and charity to live”.

This love and charity is in action today as the Francis Xavier Cardinal Van Thuan home for the disabled children in the Prefecture of Jimma in Ethiopia has reached the second floor of construction. “Our priority are the very weakest because sadly, in this culture a disabled person is considered as nothing, some one to be cast aside and forgotten”, Fr. Grima was telling me. In constructing this home it is envisaged that these needy children will benefit from food,

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“Thank you, your donations make all the difference”

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It’s only with your help that Fr. Grima can save the lives of these unfortunate children.

Gib Mission Africa. Suite 8, 3rd Floor, Leon House, Secretary’s Lane, Gibraltar. Tel 20078714 education and medicine and above all learn to believe that disability is not an inability.

“Ours is a culture of love, we see Jesus in them, not discarded scraps of humanity”. I wondered how their families dealt with what must be a culture shock to their way of living. “They consider the child a burden”, he explained, “so an opportunity like this to stay in the home is like the door of Heaven opening.

For the parents this is a way out of suffering but for us it is the gift of a child who is considered a thrown away scrap, humanity not withstanding”. He illustrated this point with the story of Temesken, a seven year old boy born without hands who loves to

play football and has aspirations to be a doctor. “Potential like this must be nourished”.

Life for the poor and needy is filled with difficulties and uncertainties which are unknown to us here on the Rock. Sitting comfortably, enjoying a coffee as the sun poured its blessings on us after a night of heavy rain, I was struggling with the reality Fr. Grima was painting for me in this land far away. Water is still scarce, dirty and polluted and requires a far ranging quest to find it. This is an ongoing major issue and the appeal for £8 to supply a bowser of fresh water has certainly helped with this most basic of necessities.

“I was thirsty and you gave me

to drink”.

Malnutrition is rife. The diet of a mother during pregnancy and that of the child during its first five years of life is crucial to growth and development.

Disease is endemic, leprosy being one (where he recounted the tale of a mother giving birth in a cemetery. This shook me; surely this is a place where life’s journey ends?) and the other which affects hundreds of people is Elephantitis, a mosquito borne illness and a leading cause of permanent and long term disability, is rampant here. It is characterised by thickening of the skin and underlying tissues and marked swelling of the lower half of the body.

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This is a neglected tropical disease and the painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease, lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling occur later in life and lead to permanent disability. These patients are not only physically disabled, but suffer mental, social and financial losses contributing to stigma and poverty.

Charlie, a forty year old male whose life has been destroyed by this debilitating illness has become the focus of the Big Appeal. For £10 per month for one year, clinical severity of lymphoedema and acute inflammatory episodes can be improved using simple measures of hygiene, skin care, exercise, and elevation of affected limbs.

A course of antibiotics can successfully treat this devastating condition which has an emotional, physical and economic affect on the quality of life of the victims.

Rounding off our chat, Fr. Grima said “the little we have to give, we give with love”.

Could you too, do anything less?

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Anne Mesilio talks to Iris Guilliano

Create your

Sponsored by

New MS carers group

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he month of May is regarded as the most beautiful month of the year in which flowers bloom and days get longer and warmer.

The promise of warm sunshine on our bare skin, after being wrapped up against winter’s cold, is intoxicating. Time to absorb some Vitamin D, which is formed in the body from the action of sunlight on the skin. This vitamin is intimately involved in the normal growth and development of bone and in the absorption of calcium from food and its deposition in bone.

It has a profound (positive) effect on the immune system and brain function. It is a fat soluble vitamin and can be stored in the body’s fatty tissue. It is known as the sunshine vitamin and the sun needs to shine on the skin of arms, face, back and legs (no sunscreen) for approximately 20 minutes per day. That of course is the ideal.

In those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain, and other parts of the body, as the myelin (the layer of protein which encases the nerve) becomes damaged, disrupting transfer of signals causing a wide range of symptoms. Research today suggests that Vitamin D is instrumental in managing the condition along with a specific diet and exercise regime.

On a sunny Saturday I went along to meet with Iris Guilliano who launched the Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society (GMSS) last year. It is always a delight to meet with her and difficult to resist her ebullience.

She paid fulsome tribute to the committee who, during the past year have worked hard

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offering information, support and advocacy when required.

An interesting spin off from the Society has been the number of others with various neurological conditions, e.g. stroke, who have approached the society for help.

Iris explained “there is a common denominator of similar issues; lack of information, where to get advice and help, what can people do to help themselves, all this causes added anxiety to an already stressful and frightening situation.” There is no particular strategy in place to deal with this and Iris recalled her own plight before a definite diagnosis was made. “It was a mystery really, it was a virus, maybe an allergy, no one seemed to have a clue while I had no concentration, slurred speech, nearly choking when I tried to swallow, I had cramps and twitches which made no sense,” she told me cheerfully and continued in that vein “never a dull moment with MS”, I gaped at her askance!

She went on “well, I lost vision in one eye so I bump into things and get covered in multi coloured bruises, I stumble and trip along, leg sometimes dragging, I get stabbing feelings in my legs, sometimes it feels like cold water has been thrown over me, and that with the sun shining”, she laughed at what must have been my incredulous expression.

We talked about coping and one of the most difficult things with a diagnosis of MS is the sense of isolation, loneliness and discouragement it brings.

Not having someone to talk to who really understands, empathises and listens, can be very frustrating. Family and friends do rally round of course, with the best will in the world, trying to be encouraging and positive but too often acting as if nothing has happened. Well, after all it is not a life threatening illness, but as Iris enlightened me “on diagnosis the impression we have is the wheelchair and the doctor’s first words to me were to encourage me to think and believe I was not going to end up in a wheelchair. This of

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own

sunshine

course is possible depending on the severity and location of the brain damage”, she was nothing if not pragmatic.

A new branch to GMSS this year will be the setting up of a Carers group, a neglected area in the struggle to cope with the pressures of a family member with MS. Speaking and sharing with different people in similar situations helps. Caring affects finances, health and ability to live ones own life.

Caring is an important responsibility, but those who care do get overlooked, and this will create an opportunity to see what needs to change to enhance carer’s lives.

Despite adhering to a diet and exercise regime, one inescapable fact for those with MS is the fatigue it generates. No matter how positive an attitude towards the illness, this tiredness is one which creates a lonely place of pain and struggle. Iris, who I know to be ‘hard headed and stubborn,’ describes how this differs from ‘normal’ tiredness.

“It is like wearing a lead suit, I just cannot get off the sofa, everything feels so heavy”.

Another lovely lady, Juliane Mitchell Keane from Northern Ireland explained via email “when an MS person says ‘I’m tired’ what they probably mean is; their back is on fire with a burning sensation, each movement of the body feels so, so slow, and so, so sore, the spine has a piercing burning ache, it feels raw, the body feels heavy, like being held to the

ground with a ton of bricks”.

Iris agreed “it’s like wearing a heavy woollen coat, and going swimming in it, then coming out and trying to walk, it tires you out trying to move and you feel very heavy and trapped, a totally different kind of tired.”

Juliane described “strange pains pulsating up and down the limbs like electrical impulses, the worst bit is feeling so overwhelmingly weak and fighting back tears when trying to move to get things done… so... just saying ‘I’m tired’ is the easy option, there is no energy to explain all the above.”

Every single person diagnosed with MS deals with it differently according to severity, treatment and background, not all are at the same level.

All these aspects play a part in managing the condition. Iris and her ‘hard headed’ attitude keep her walking and this includes when possible, weekly trips up the Mediterranean Steps, not, I can assure you from experience,

for the faint hearted!

Juliane, whilst struggling with a relapse, would close her eyes and “imagine myself running in my head, sounds boring but from running so much in real life I could do it because I know my route, landmarks, turns and bumps on the road so well.”

Once back to health and running again “I always stop at a wee place I call ‘Heaven’ because it so beautiful and I give thanks that I can run again in such a special place”.

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy” (Henry Ward Beecher).

The sunshine in our lives helps us keep shadows behind us by focusing, not on the problem, but on the solution.

If you would like to know more about the Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are several ways you can get in touch: Facebook page; Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society.

TWITTER: @GibMsSociety EMAIL: gibraltarms@yahoo.co.uk More info on the Mediterranian Steps ww.visitgibraltar.gi/uppermediterranean-steps

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