02-07-2025
Queensland woman with multiple sclerosis determined to walk again
When Susan Blackborough wakes up each morning, she never knows if she will be able to get out of bed until she tries to move.
It's a daily struggle she has learned to live with in her long-term battle with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Ms Blackborough was diagnosed with MS at just 12.
Now 45, she said her condition started to decline about 10 years ago.
"I became weak and I needed a lot of extra help to do things," she said.
The progression of the disease has left her unable to walk since 2020.
"I knew that … eventually I would end up in a wheelchair," she said.
But she's determined not to let it dictate her life.
Ms Blackborough lives in Rockhampton, central Queensland, and is inspiring others through her determination.
Her at-home physiotherapist, Greg Muller, is just one part of her incredible support team.
"Susan has awesome goals and they're lofty, like to walk again after not walking since 2020 and to do that with a progressive neurological disease such as MS, we're setting the bar high, but why not?" Mr Muller said.
With Mr Muller's assistance, the mother of two is learning to walk again.
"It might not seem like a great deal to you and me, but 4 metres for Susan is like a marathon," Mr Muller said.
"It's just such a huge accomplishment and it's building towards that bigger goal that hopefully we get to."
While there is no cure for MS, Mr Muller said treatments could help to manage symptoms, slow disease progression and improve quality of life.
"We assess every day where Susan's at. We talk about how she slept, what her pain levels are like, what her energy levels are like, and then her goals for that specific session," he said.
"It's my job to make sure we tick those things off and I just try and push her a little bit harder each session."
Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative disease that progressively damages nerves, making it increasingly difficult for the brain and the body to communicate.
There is no known single cause of MS and there is no cure.
"MS is very complex. I can't tolerate extreme temperatures, so if it gets particularly hot, I will basically melt and my muscles won't work at all," Ms Blackborough said.
"In the cold, I get a lot of spasticity and I can't bend my arms and I can't bend my legs."
The unpredictable nature of MS can significantly impact a person's ability to work and perform daily activities.
Ms Blackborough had a thriving career as a mobile finance broker, travelling around in her car to visit clients, but eventually, had to give it up.
"It became unsafe for me to drive anymore, so I stopped driving. I had to close my business. I had to give away my high-heel shoes, which was heartbreaking.
"But I'm trying to walk again and I want to get back to working and trying to heal."
More than 33,000 Australians live with MS, and that number continues to rise.
It's the most commonly acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, and in Australia, it affects three times more women than men.
MS Australia chief executive Rohan Greenland said there had been significant advances in MS treatment over the past two decades.
"Australia is home to world-leading researchers working across every stage of the disease, from uncovering the causes of MS, to improving care and accelerating progress toward a cure," Mr Greenland said.
"We are also preparing to enrol the first participants in PLATYPUS, Australia's first adaptive clinical trial for MS, designed specifically for people living with the progressive form of the disease, where effective treatments remain a significant unmet need."
While MS has changed the path Ms Blackborough's life has taken, she's taking every day one step at a time.
"I want to retain as much independence as I can," she said.
