Ruth worked as a hairdresser and a dinner lady. She was a keen horse rider and loved sketching and drawing. Juggling motherhood and work was naturally difficult but very fulfilling.

Ruth was diagnosed with MS after she gave birth to her first son. For many years there were no symptoms at all and she had a second son and thought that maybe the doctors had misdiagnosed, or the illness had gone away. The first sign that the MS was progressing came when she started tripping up kerbs and over time little things like everyday household chores were becoming harder.

Driving became impossible as the illness progressed and it was hard for her to accept that the things she loved to do had become a thing of the past. Her younger son cared for her at first, though as the MS progressed she felt she had become a burden and it was especially difficult as she came to require more personal care. As Ruth’s condition progressed she and her family decided full-time MS care was needed. With a Christies Care home care package in place, Ruth is able to remain in the home she and her family love and enjoys a more dignified and independent lifestyle.

Lorenza, one of Ruth’s carers says, “She is a lovely lady, who still has so much to give and although her illness has taken much away from her, she still retains an incomparable sense of humour and a love for life that she lives to the full.”