Rania Melhem
"Keeping up the fight for MS"
“Sorry you have MS” was how nineteen-year-old Rania was diagnosed with the most common chronic neurological disease of young Australians. Reflecting on symptoms ranging from migraines, dizziness and numbness, no tears were shed. This caring young woman’s instinct was to reach to comfort her mother, who now had two daughters diagnosed with this “invisible illness” – multiple sclerosis.
From that moment on, she vowed to always stay “positive” to lessen her mother’s heartache and pain - pain that no mother should have to bare. Having symptoms first appear while studying her Bachelor of Communications and Public Relations degree at Monash University, led to many years of living in denial. This self-confessed control freak, reached many milestones around the time of her diagnosis. Leaving her teens, trying to feel like a grown up, learning to self-inject medication, crying about her diagnosis for the first time and feeling so much loss of control.
Each MS relapse, although challenging, seems to assist this amazing woman to feel stronger and wiser. Now, having accepted what life has handed her, and proud of her career achievements,she is currently working for one of the Big 4 banks. With the devoted support of her husband, family and MS community, Rania may keep getting knocked down by this disease, but always gets back up and keeps fighting. This stoic young woman keeps fighting for her sister, her mum, her husband and family, and advocates on behalf of all Australians living with MS.
The MS Ambassador program warmly welcomes this amazing young woman to our team, and highly recommends her as an excellent communicator and effective public speaker, who will share with you how to keep up the good fight.
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