The Raw Nerve

On this special episode of The Raw Nerve we mark World Brain Day, an annual event observed on July 22, aimed at promoting awareness and education for neurological disorders that affect individuals worldwide.  Host Dr Julia Morahan reminds us that our brains are by far the most complex organs in our body, allowing us to sense, feel, think, move and interact with the world around us. The brain helps...

Content warning: The following video contains discussion of mental health issues and suicide.  If you or someone you know is in need of support, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 or visit ⁠ www.lifeline.org.au ⁠ . In cinemas on 22 August, Take My Hand is a powerful Australian feature film with multiple sclerosis as a central part of the storyline. On a special episode of The Raw Nerve we talk to the cr...

Jen Willis has fulfilled her childhood dream of learning to mountaineer. We first met Jen in January 2023 and on this latest episode of The Raw Nerve, she shares her journey, passion for mountains and climbing mountains, life with multiple sclerosis (MS) and her recent trek to Everest Base Camp with a group of others with MS from Australia, the UK and the USA, guides, and a cinematographer. The ac...

Count Us In: Neurological Alliance Australia Summit, Parliament House, Canberra – Tuesday 25 June 2024 At a landmark summit in Canberra, Neurological Alliance Australia hosted a panel of people with lived and carer experience, to call attention to the needs of millions of Australians living with neurological conditions, at the launch of the Count Us In campaign. Neurological conditions are on the...

Livestreamed on World MS Day, our ‘Understanding MS Diagnosis’ Forum featured MS clinicians, researchers and members of MS Australia’s National Advocates Program and Lived Experience Expert Panel (LEEP). This informative and lively discussion explored the importance and future of early diagnosis and treatment in MS. Panel members living with MS shared their diverse diagnosis journeys. The Forum co...

Brisbane-based author Carmel Charlesworth describes herself as an authenticity advocate - she empowers others to see their beauty and shows them how to be their authentic selves. Diagnosed with MS at the age of 37, in her chapter from the book  Extraordinary  Carmel details the emotions she faced after her MS diagnosis, what got her through and the impact on her life, employment, and family. An MS...

Joe Vargetto is a Melbourne chef and owner of celebrated restaurant Mister Bianco which offers Southern Italian and Sicilian-inspired dishes, reflecting Joe’s heritage. A keen cyclist, Joe has epic stories to tell about his food career and restaurant journey and his 2015 MS diagnosis. On The Raw Nerve this week, host Jeremy Henderson, Head of Advocacy at MS Australia sits down with Joe in his rest...

Sophie Drummond, MS Plus Senior Campaign Coordinator for The May 50K is a keen participant as is Dr Tennille Luker, Deputy Head of Research at MS Australia. On the Raw Nerve this week, host Rohan Greenland, CEO of MS Australia (another passionate May 50K participant) sits down with Tennille and Sophie, who lives with MS, to discuss how The May 50K works, exercise and MS and to hear about some of t...

Andrew Potter and Ebony Moffat share three things in common; an employer, a neurological condition, and a passion for raising awareness of multiple sclerosis and advocating for those living with MS. On the Raw Nerve this week we sit down with two members of the MS Australia Advocacy team to discuss their work, MS Australia’s commitment to embedding and leveraging lived experience meaningfully and...

Dr Heidi Beadnall is a New South Wales-based neurologist (brain specialist) and researcher with special interests in multiple sclerosis (MS), neuroimmunology and general neurology. At the Brain and Mind Centre, the University of Sydney, Dr Beadnall works as part of the Royal Prince Alfred Multiple Sclerosis Clinic. Almost seven years ago, Dr Beadnall first guided and supported broadcaster Phil O’N...

Cassidy Krygger, is a young Australian actor, screenwriter and producer and the founder of viral Instagram account Hollywoodland Photos. Diagnosed with MS in 2018, Cassidy is determined to live a full life with her disability, but to also educate, support and inspire other young people newly diagnosed with MS. The Raw Nerve spoke to Cassidy, buoyed by the recent success of her short film Daisy. Wr...

Caro Llewellyn, author, advocate, and business executive, discusses her journey with multiple sclerosis (MS) in an interview on The Raw Nerve podcast. Llewellyn talks about her upbringing in a creative environment, her career in publishing and her love of books, and the challenges she faced after being diagnosed with MS in 2009. Lewellyn also discusses her father's experience with polio and ho...

On this special episode of The Raw Nerve podcast, recorded at the 2023 Progress in MS Research Conference in Perth, we take a deep dive into PLATYPUS, Australia's groundbreaking adaptive clinical trial for progressive MS. Dr Julia Morahan, Head of Research at MS Australia, guides us through a captivating discussion with the brilliant minds steering PLATYPUS—Professor Jeremy Chataway of Univers...

This National Carer’s Week (Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 October), we welcome Paul Koury and Briana Blackett – two passionate advocates for unpaid carers with first-hand but vastly different experience. As we found out in part one, Paul Koury lives with multiple sclerosis (MS) and after being a carer for his mother and navigating the aged care system, founded the Australian Carers Guide – a publicatio...

This National Carer’s Week (Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 October), we welcome Paul Koury and Briana Blackett – two passionate advocates for unpaid carers with first-hand but vastly different experience. In this special two-part episode of the Raw Nerve, host Phil O’Neil chats with Paul and Briana and finds out about the carer role and the importance of caring for the carers. Paul Koury lives with mult...

In this episode of "The Raw Nerve," CEO of MS Australia, Rohan Greenland and the Head of Research, Dr. Julia Morahan, discuss the upcoming Progress in MS Research conference, highlighting key themes, international and Australian speakers, and showcase groundbreaking research in areas such as health behaviour, myelin repair, and neuroimmunology. This episode emphasises the conference'...

Diagnosed 13 years ago with MS, Justine Martin was told by her neurologist that she wouldn’t work again. Undeterred Justine has found purpose in helping other people through telling her story and giving them hope. Along the way Justine has earned recognition and many awards, as an accomplished speaker, life coach, artist, author, publisher, teacher, and entrepreneur. Now she’s combined all of thos...

In August 2018 Cate Green experienced a painful back spasm while at a spa in Daylesford. By the following month Cate had been diagnosed with MS.  A particularly severe relapse that same month left Cate temporarily paralysed from the neck down. “So I lost both arms, legs bowel and bladder, and that put life in perspective for me.” Today five, years on Cate is about to embark on her biggest challeng...

Join host Phil O'Neil in an extraordinary conversation on the 15th episode of Raw Nerve Podcast, where two remarkable Australians, Bronwyn Saunders and Chris Morgan, share their inspiring journeys with multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite facing unexpected MS diagnoses, both Bronwyn and Chris have defied the odds and accomplished incredible feats.  Bronwyn Saunders, a children's author, opens...

On the 14th episode of The Raw Nerve podcast, co-host Phil O'Neil engages in a compelling conversation with the President of MS Australia, Associate Professor Des Graham, alongside MS advocates Kelly Englehardt and Sonia Marcon, exploring their lived experiences with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). With the NDIS Review ongoing and the call for the NDIS to better address the ne...

On the 13th episode of the Raw Nerve Podcast, co-host Phil O’Neil talks with MSWA Chair and MS Australia Board Director, Horst Bemmerl about his life with multiple sclerosis (MS) and his incredible journey, from diagnosis, and its inevitable challenges, to positivity and living a life devoted to educating, raising awareness and helping others with the disease.  Phil and Horst discuss their respect...

On the 12th episode of the Raw Nerve Podcast, guest host Jeremy Henderson, MS Australia’s Head of Advocacy, had the privilege of speaking with three dedicated MS Nurses about the invaluable work they do and the remarkable connection they form with their patients. In the lead up to World MS Day, Jeremy speaks candidly with Belinda Bardsley, Tim O’Maley and Emma Christian about the role of an MS Nur...

On the 11th episode of the Raw Nerve Podcast, co-host Rohan Greenland talks with three people heavily involved in the development of a new MS Australia video resource developed to help the community gain a better understanding of multiple sclerosis. Rohan is joined by Couch Creative creative director Mike Sarah, and two of Rohan’s MS Australia colleagues who contributed clinical and lived-experien...

On the 10th episode of the Raw Nerve Podcast, friend of the show, Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services and Science Officer at the National MS Society takes the reins, coming to us from New York, where the Pathways to Cures Global Summit wrapped last week. The summit brought together 189 leaders from the global MS movement, representing 15 countries and 20 organizations that endorse the Pathways t...

On the 9th episode of the Raw Nerve Podcast Phil O’Neil chats with Felicity Perdue from Hobart about her preparations for the May 50K, and her very personal motivation to raise money for MS Research. The May 50K is now underway and Felicity, who was diagnosed with MS in 2019 is taking part for herself, for her late mother and for all those living with MS. Felicity sits down with Phil to talk about...