Faking MS for profit- A touchy subject
When people with MS participate in athletic events, either for their own interest or associated with fundraising for MS, it is truly inspirational and rightly so.
In the course of doing research for an article about “faux” explorers I have learned that one of my subjects claims to have MS. While it may be true, the rest of this person’s history indicates a willingness to fabricate and lie about his past experiences and qualifications.
Because MS has such idiosyncratic symptoms and because the appearance of symptoms is often unpredictable, MS is an ideal disease for someone who, perversely, pretends to have the disease. In the case of someone who identifies as an athlete or explorer, an MS declaration can evoke sympathy and admiration. The person in question in this particular case is raising money for MS with his athletic events and also attracting financial support, patronage, free equipment, etc. He also refuses to provide any substantiation of his diagnosis, even to an acceptable third party.
I’m posting at this forum because I’d like to hear (anonymously or not) from any genuine MS sufferers the answer to this question.
If your MS was central to your participation in athletic fundraising events, how would you react if someone challenged you to prove your diagnosis?
I am not suggesting that everyone with MS needs to make their medical records public. But it seems to me that a simple letter from one’s physician, confirming the diagnosis, would serve the purpose of clearing the air, particularly if the person in question is being put forward as a representative of an MS organization.
Kent Madin
I was once dupped by a person who fabricatedd lots of illnesses and even had her skull operated on and a circle of bone removed they were bonkers and craved the attention.
Having come across some very unusual characters in my previous life as a Global Commissioning Engineer,
I tend to air on the side of caution even to the point of cinicism in such cases.
If this guy has nothing to hide then providing proof of condition should not be a problem!
If I was this guy (I wish) then openness as to diagnosis etc. would be paramount!
I don’t understand why this person is refusing to substantiate his illness. How very odd. I would be very wary if I were you.
I am sure that all of us with a diagnosis have kept the original letter with dates of MRI, lumber puncture tests etc etc and their results which resulted in the diagnosis of MS.
A person either has MS, or he hasn’t. There are clinical and lab signs that mean that the dx is a matter of fact rather than opinion (99 times out of 100). You can’t easily fake lesions on an MRI scan. And I am puzzled by the notion of anyone having a firm MS dx who does not have a sheaf of copy letters to put the matter beyond doubt if anyone wants documentary evidence. I would take a long, hard look at someone who is trading on having MS but who resists proving it. Proving it is very easy. If you have it. Alison
I’m not quite sure what it is but there is something about the way you write and the words you use, that I don’t particularly like. Have you got your own agenda going here??
Are you saying, everytime we wish to raise money on behalf of the MS society for instance, we have to prove we have MS first?
Why are you asking the question on this forum? If you feel this person is a fraud, do something about it.
He’s not saying you have to prove you’ve got ms to raise money to help, just don’t pretend your raising money to help people like your pretending to be, to put yourself on a pedestal, you’ve only got to watch the start of any Xfactor to know there are a lot of really strange people in this world, can’t be difficult to say my nurologist is Dr sowansow, ask them I’m to busy raising money to cure people, or not. Lol
Later this year I am doing the 5k big fun run at crystal palace for a small MS charity. I have MS, its a real bugger but I live with it, fight it and will not let it beat me. As to proof, should anyone ask, I have files of letter, stacks of drugs, sharps bin and my weekly Avonex injections stored in the fridge. If someone is claiming to have MS to raise money when they dont have it, then thats odd but I would still be happy they are raising money. If they are claiming to have MS to gain for themselves then this just plain wrong!
Later this year I am doing the 5k big fun run at crystal palace for a small MS charity. I have MS, its a real bugger but I live with it, fight it and will not let it beat me. As to proof, should anyone ask, I have files of letter, stacks of drugs, sharps bin and my weekly Avonex injections stored in the fridge. If someone is claiming to have MS to raise money when they dont have it, then thats odd but I would still be happy they are raising money. If they are claiming to have MS to gain for themselves then this just plain wrong!
This thread is being locked as the forum is not to be used for research purposes without the full permission of the MS Society. As ‘Mongcon’ had not sought verification prior to posting on this forum- this posts here are viewed as spam/advertising. Such posts are never welcome.
