THE WIFE of Albion chairman Tony Bloom has spoken of her battle with the debilitating condition multiple sclerosis.

Linda Bloom gave the inspiring speech about her personal story and the creation of the charity Overcoming MS accompanied by her husband at the House of Commons.

She said: “Imagine​ feeling like your ribs are being crushed and every breath is painful. Imagine sitting in a cold room with windows and doors open and a cold wet sheet draped over your body but feeling like you are on fire. ​Imagine​ not being able to muster the energy to lift your hand to feed yourself. ​

“I was 28-years-old bedridden, incapacitated  and devastated, overnight I lost all hope for my future.

“I was told there was nothing that I could do so I sat on the couch and cried as I  realised that all my hopes and dreams for the future had been taken away from me. Just like that.

“Eighteen years after diagnosis, instead of the progressive decline that is the general course of this  horrendous disease, here I am, ​fitter, healthier and happier​ than ever before. But today I am not here talking to you as a person with MS.

"I am  talking to you as the chairwoman of a charity that is determined to change the prognosis for people diagnosed with MS across the world."

Mrs Bloom said she hoped every person, newly diagnosed with MS could have the hope that they could recover like she had.

Newly married and aged just 26, Brighton nurse Rowan Baker-Smith’s world came to a standstill when she was diagnosed with MS and became too ill to work.

In July 2018 Rowan was concerned by a constant tingling sensation, vision problems, difficulties walking and chronic fatigue which left her too ill to work. As a nurse, she has seen the debilitating medical effects of MS and was worried about the future.

She said: “I couldn’t feed myself or brush my hair and couldn’t walk more than 50 metres, meaning that I had to use a wheelchair to get around. I also had inflammation of the optic nerve which caused changes to my vision.

“I had three relapses in six months, but since adopting OMS I’ve not experienced any new symptoms - I have come such a long way in a short period of time.”

With time and dedication, she has now been able to return to work full-time and is fulfilling her goal of upgrading her home.

Overcoming MS encourages a range of lifestyle changes - including diet, exercise, vitamin supplements and stress reduction to make living with the condition easier.