World relay medallist hopes she and her twin sister Lina can help others after speaking out about living with Multiple Sclerosis
Laviai Nielsen would like she and her twin sister to represent “a beacon of hope” to people going through their own challenges, after both recently spoke out about living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Two weeks after her sibling and fellow international athlete Lina revealed she has had the condition which affects the brain and the spinal cord, after her 400m heat on Monday evening the 26-year-old spoke about being diagnosed with the same disease last summer.
Talking about it has helped and the number of supportive messages which have come the Nielsens’ way since has provided motivation to be of service to others.
“I feel confident now that my sister has done it,” Laviai told AW, when asked how she had felt about voicing the news. “Before she spoke out, it was kind of daunting but we’ve had so many positive messages saying that we’re role models and inspirations, which is hard to believe.
“We’re taking that very seriously, though, and hope to be a beacon of hope for anyone not just going through MS but any difficulties or chronic illnesses.”
MS can damage nerves and cause a number of debilitating symptoms, which include numbness or weakness in the limbs, a lack of co-ordination, vision problems, slurred speech and dizziness.
On Monday evening Laviai had said: “I got diagnosed last year, two days before I flew to the Olympics, which was great for my mental health. I saw Lina when she got diagnosed when she was 17 and she went through a really dark period. No 17-year-old should have to face that.
“I saw her face depression. I looked back at the nine years she had and thought ‘I’m going to be ok’. I’ve got the most perfect example right in front of me. I dealt with it in my own way, but ever since it’s been really positive and we’ve helped each other through it all.”
In terms of how badly she has been affected, Laviai added: “The only thing I had last year was I would be affected by heat. I would get pins and needles or a numb feeling down my left side. So I spoke to her [Lina] about it and said ‘could it be what you have’?
“Luckily, I haven’t had any severe symptoms. It hasn’t hindered my training or my performance, so I consider myself quite lucky.”
The emotional toll of revealing her illness must have been significant but, barely a few hours after her disclosure, Laviai…
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