Julia Campbell of London, Ont., fights multiple sclerosis every day, but on Sunday she’ll don her gloves and step into the ring for a charity boxing match that aims to raise research funds and awareness of the disease.
“I was officially diagnosed in April (2023). I lost a lot of my sight, my balance, I had trouble with speaking,” Campbell says.
“Since I started my treatment I’ve come back nearly to where I was before. I’ve been learning a lot (about MS), getting back to what I hope will be normal soon.”
MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It damages the protective coating around nerves, making it hard for the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.
Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely between patients. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk and can even become paraplegic, while others may only experience numbness in limbs or lack of co-ordination.
There’s currently no cure, but there are several treatments that can speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.
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The daily battle of patients gave Dr. Juan Racosta an idea: organize a charity boxing match.
“Every day I go to work at the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic and see a number of patients,” says Racosta, neurologist and founder of Punch Out MS.
“I think seeing them fighting in their everyday lives has helped me to understand why we need to celebrate the wins and there’s no better way to do that than to punch out MS.”
The London MS Clinic and London Health Sciences Centre, where Racosta works and Campbell is a patient, has been a lifeline for 6,300 patients, offering management and treatment while providing support for both patients and their families.
To take part in the Punch Out MS event, participants like Campbell undergo a 12-week boot camp for endurance skill building and learning how to take on their opponent before the actual boxing match in the ring.
Campbell says the physical aspect of preparing for the match, in addition to karate, has helped improve her physical symptoms and strength and boost her morale.
“I don’t know my opponent with MS, I wake up fighting every day. The training, the physical fitness aspect of it has helped me regain my independence, this was a lot of me fighting back. I just want to punch out and kick out MS,” Campbell says.
The upcoming event aims to raise funds for the clinic and help support further research and treatments.
The event starts Sunday at 3 p.m., at London Music Hall and will feature various forms of entertainment to fund vital research, clinical and laboratory studies, and education for patients, families and health-care professionals.
“To get back my co-ordination and balance has been the real winner here,” Campbell says.
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