Tumbling down

One of the common issues with MS is dreadful balance. Another is struggling with the impact of the cold.

Totally logical then, for the woman at the centre of one of the first documented case of the disease to also be the patron saint of ice-skaters.

Bizarre, but true. Here’s the short version of the story*:

Saint Lidwina of Schiedam was born in Holland in 1380. At fifteen, in a severe winter Lidwina was skating with friends when she fell and broke a rib and was put to bed in her family home.

She never fully recovered and became progressively more disabled and ill throughout her life. It is believed that she became paralyzed with the exception of her head and left hand.

Until her death at 53, she suffered intermittent pain, weakness of the legs and vision loss - although with some apparent periods of remission. A pattern indicating symptoms typical of MS.

After her death, she was canonised with the slightly unusual double whammy of patron saint of ice skaters and the chronically ill.

I’m sure there are some important things to draw from Lidwina’s story – by all accounts she continued to live her damaged life with grace, acceptance and thoughtfulness.

I’m also pretty grateful that I don’t live in a time without MRIs, neurologists and drugs.

But mainly I’m going to be very careful when considering any ice-skating invitations.

:: Tumbling down by Midge Ure 

*Read the longer one here.