Taking the plunge with MS

By ALAN PERROTT

Jumping from a plane at 3650m should be a walk in the park if you are already dealing with the vagaries of multiple sclerosis every day.

But Erin Woodhams and Maree Perkinson discovered when they took the leap on Saturday that extreme experiences require different flavours of bravery.

Their tandem skydives were one part promotion for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week and two parts personal dare.

MS is a chronic auto-immune disease of the central nervous system and is the most common neurological disorder afflicting young New Zealanders after brain injury. Its cause is still unknown.

Both novice skydivers have fought long battles with MS. Ms Perkinson, 44, is now confined to a wheelchair, while Mrs Woodhams, 53, remains mobile with the help of walking sticks.

"That was the most intimate ride of my life," shouted Mrs Woodhams after her descent into the backyard of her Whenuapai home.

"Now I've done it and crossed it off the list. Bring on the next thing."

Ms Perkinson, from Papatoetoe, was shaking and grinning wildly after her gentle crash-landing.

"It was so much more than I thought it was going to be," she said.

"I loved it, but I'm still trying to take it all in. You sit there climbing higher and higher and you're just thinking, 'I've got to jump out of here soon'. It was wonderful."

It had been fairly nerve-racking for friends and family waiting on the ground as well.

After 30 minutes of patient eyestrain and neck craning, the intrepid pair were spotted as tiny dots plummeting through cloud.

Their rapid arrival was greeted with applause and a few tears.

The skydive was one of the more adventurous challenges sponsored by the Auckland MS Society's Dreams programme (Delightful Recreation and Enjoyable Activities for people with MS).

Society president Colin Wise said Dreams was a local initiative designed to allow those with multiple sclerosis to enjoy a range of experiences. If skydiving is not for you, they have also arranged walks over the Harbour Bridge and trips to the beach.

There are about 4000 MS sufferers in New Zealand, including some 1000 in the Auckland region.

Symptoms range from tremors to extreme fatigue, and usually appear between 20 and 40 years of age.

* The Dreams programme relies on donations and fundraising. The society has set up a donation line, 0900 yes2MS, 0900 937-267.

MS Society of Auckland