How Pediatric MS Impacted My Career Goals
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during my freshman year of high school.It started with numbness on my right leg that, over the next week, progressed all the way to my trunk. I was able to get an MRI that showed lesions in my brain and C-Spine and a spinal tap, which showed the telltale oligoclonal bands. These results — along with my symptoms — led my doctors to make the diagnosis.At first, my diagnosis was overwhelming because I knew nothing about MS and knew no one who lived with MS. Once I educated myself about MS, my fears lessened, and I knew I could turn my diagnosis into something positive.
Throughout this entire journey, my MS diagnosis has been motivation to help others like myself: patients living with MS and other chronic diseases. The unique perspective that I have as a patient allows me to empathize with the patients and understand their point of view. Instead of allowing my diagnosis to hinder or hold me back from achieving my goals, it has been a motivator and inspiration. I turned my diagnosis into a passion that has shaped how I envision my future.
Stacey Hirsch is 23 years old and from West Bloomfield, Michigan. She was diagnosed with MS when she was 14 years old as a freshman in high school. She graduated from The University of Michigan in 2024 with a bachelors in science and is now pursuing a masters in biomedical science from Tufts University School of Medicine.
