Ten years on: From silence to strength with MS
Gil kept his MS diagnosis quiet for ten years, focusing on raising his children and living life to the max. This Father’s Day, he opens up about living well, showing up, and what it means to him to be a dad with MS.
Ten years ago, I walked out of a hospital office with a new label: relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. I cried. I panicked. I remember thinking, “what now?”
I was in the thick of life: we’d just started a new family. I was working, travelling, and navigating the beautiful chaos that comes with it all. MS wasn’t part of the plan, but as most people know, plans are mostly there to be adapted.
Don’t stop living
My first instinct? Keep going. Keep being a loving partner. Keep travelling and visiting places. Keep being ‘Dad’. We already had one child, another one was in his way, and we had planned not to stop there. I did not want MS to mess up with our life plans. I didn’t want MS to be the main character in my story. I had a million things to do. So, I told only a handful of people and carried on.
And when I say I carried on, I mean I really lived. We travelled far and wide, chasing sunshine, mountains, and the kind of memories that last forever.
I began running almost by accident. I got involved in my local sports community, met incredible people, and kept both my body and mind active.
Some days were tough: the fatigue, the weird nerve stuff, the brain fog, but I learned to listen to my body and found I could still do the things I love.
Living like there’s no time to waste
MS changed me, no question. I started living with a quiet urgency, not out of fear, but motivation. It made me more aware of how I spend my time. I wanted to give my kids all the energy, adventures, and love I could, while I could. I wanted to keep saying yes to life!
I packed the days full of camping weekends, city escapes, early morning runs, late-night pizza, cheering my kids from the sidelines, and laughing with friends. It wasn’t about denial. It was about squeezing the juice out of every single day.
10 years of silence, then I spoke up
This year marked ten years since my diagnosis. A big one.
And I decided: no more keeping it quiet.
I ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon for the MS Society and shared my story for the first time. I talked about why I was running and the diagnosis I’d quietly carried for a decade.
The response blew me away. People reached out, some with questions, while others just wanted to say they were rooting for me. Turns out, honesty draws people closer.
For anyone quietly living with MS
I’m not a superhero. I’m just a guy who’s learned to keep showing up for my kids, my partner, my health, and the people I care about. MS hasn’t stopped me from living. It’s just made me more aware of how I live. I do what I can do.
I now have three amazing kids who’ve grown up watching me balance life and health. I hope they’re learning that tough stuff doesn’t have to steal your joy.
If you’re quietly carrying MS like I was, I get it. It’s personal. But I’ve found that sharing helps (when you’re ready!). And being part of a community, getting involved, and taking one step at a time (literally or metaphorically) matters.
The next chapter
I’m still running, exploring, showing up at events, on start lines, and everywhere in between. I’ve got races on the calendar, family adventures to plan, and a community I’m proud to call my own.
MS came into my life ten years ago, but it didn’t take over my life. I still have goals, energy (well, most days), and a story worth telling.
And now, I'm ready to tell that story out loud.
