Episode 283:12 Years Old and Diagnosed with MS with Faith Bigam

Faith Bigam was diagnosed with MS in 2014, when she was 12 years old. She didn't know what MS was because, well, why would any 12-year-old kid know what MS is? But Faith quickly learned and just a year later, she had already become an Ambassador for the MS Society of Canada. The initial years of Faith's MS journey weren't easy, and I'm not sure how someone of any age who had less resilience might have handled them. But I'm pretty sure that next to the word "resilience" in the dictionary you'll find a picture of Faith Bigam. And I promise you, there are some things about Faith that are going to surprise you. The National MS Society's 2023 Pathways to Wellness virtual program takes place February 9th. We'll give you the details and tell you how to register for this free event.  You'll hear about L'Oreal's "smart" lipstick applicator. It's the first product in a line designed to make the task of putting on makeup accessible to people living with disabilities.  And we'll tell you what researchers discovered in a study that focused on analyzing the gut microbiome of young people living with pediatric MS.  We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Meet the embodiment of resilience and adaptability, Faith Bigam :22 Learn more and register for the 2023 Pathways to Wellness in MS virtual program  1:15 L'Oreal develops an adaptive lipstick application device (and why that matters!)  2:21 A research team analyzed the gut microbiome of young people living with pediatric MS  4:27 My conversation with Faith Bigam  7:56 Share this episode  31:07 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  31:28 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/283 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Pathways to Wellness: Emotional, Spiritual, and Social Wellness Virtual Program https://nationalmssociety.org/Resources-Support/Library-Education-Programs/PathwaystoWellness Metagenomic Analysis of the Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis Gut Microbiome Explained https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2023/01/05/metagenomic-analysis-of-the-pediatric-onset-multiple-sclerosis-gut-microbiome-explained STUDY: Metagenomic Analysis of the Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis Gut Microbiome https://n.neurology.org/content/98/10/e1050 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 283 Guest: Faith Bigam Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy