Kate, as pictured in the video.
Although we have never met, I know Kate Langwine-Cooke to be a woman on a mission. She lives in Wrexham in North Wales, UK, and has MS but is determined not to let that stop her. She raised money for MS-UK and the MS Society through a physically exhausting 100km bicycle ride on a static bike, she works with young people and even coaches boxers as well as a football (soccer) team.
Added to that she campaigns on behalf of people who have ‘invisible illnesses’; after all, not all illnesses and disabilities are obvious. For example, many people have a great deal of pain manage to keep it hidden.
Kate’s symptoms are mainly hidden from public view, so it was somewhat of a surprise to see her post a graphic video on Facebook a few days ago. This was not one of her more traditional videos which many have described as inspirational; this was Kate having a seizure in all its terrifying detail.
When she turned on her trusty video recorder, her thoughts were purely on recording the seizure to show to her neurologist as she found it so difficult to describe. But then decided to use it on her Facebook page as well.
That video as since had thousands of views; in fact, 4,00 in just its first two days online.
Speaking to the Press, Kate said: “I put the camera to record because I felt my head beginning to shake in a sort of rocking motion which was an alarm bell after having been ‘ambulanced’ into ‘resus’ at the Maelor (Hospital) last Wednesday night.
“On Wednesday, I ended up semi-comatose following an attack of paralysing tremors which had lasted about 25 minutes. I was unconscious for a total of three hours, and when I momentarily did regain consciousness, I was completely paralysed from the neck down. It was terrifying.”
CT scans at the hospital showed the seizures were caused by brain damage due to multiple sclerosis. After returning home she suffered a further attack and tremors.
Kate said: “I cannot express how frightening it is not knowing if I will stay in that paralysed state for the rest of my life. MS is so unpredictable.
“The video I put to film as evidence for my neurologist at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, to see as it is very difficult to describe the attacks.
“I made the decision to post the video on my Invisible Illnesses Facebook page as part of my campaign to raise awareness of not only MS but the fact that a lot of horrendous conditions go unnoticed if a person is not in a wheelchair or using a walking aid.”
She said: “The video isn’t nice to look at, but I don’t mind sharing my life if it helps raise awareness of MS and its extremes.
“There has got to be a positive to come from all this. Four thousand views in two days is crazy,” she added.
To view Kate’s video, click this link: https://youtu.be/uMzE_ioUHno
