A younger girl braved a devastating analysis to pursue her profession as an expert pole dancer—she even recently competed in a national exhibition.
Sydney’s Carolyn Hanson was devastated when she found out she had multiple sclerosis in October 2017, but refused to let her love for the sport she was passionate about end.
“It brings me so much joy, the challenge, the athleticism, the fact that I can do my workout,” she instructed The Project on Sunday night, claiming her docs have been about all of that.
‘They are encouraging. They say if it feels right, do it,” she said.
Ms Hanson was training for Miss Pole Dance Australia in October 2017 when she developed the first seemingly harmless sign of the autoimmune disease.
Professional pole dancer Carolyn Hanson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago
Multiple sclerosis – who suffers from it and what are the symptoms
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects 131 in 100,000 Australians
It usually manifests itself between the ages of 20 and 40, and women are at greater risk
Tingling and other sensations in the legs are among the most familiar early symptoms of MS
Other symptoms include seizures, vision problems including blindness, migraines, mental health problems, and decreased cognitive function (such as memory or analytical ability) or brain fog.
Over the years, it can cause partial or complete paralysis
“It started with a blurry spot in my eye and within 24/48 hours I lost 95 percent of the vision in my left eye,” she said.
“When I got to the triage table, they said, ‘Oh, we see you’re here for MS,’ and I had a huge emergency breakdown.”
“Those were words I didn’t want to hear.
“It’s like mourning. It was like I had lost my whole life.
Mrs. Hasson was in the hospital for three weeks and after returning home she decided not to give in to her illness.
“I really didn’t know what I was going to be capable of until I started moving and working out,” she told SBS in 2019.
“It was the motivation that I had something to work towards that really pushed me to get back to the level that I felt like at this professional level.”
“I could wake up tomorrow and have a relapse, so I just have to move every day.” I can’t wait for tomorrow because I just don’t know what’s going to happen.
Ms Hanson, who topped half of the Pole Icon competitors at Sydney’s Luna Park on Friday, admitted the trouble took its toll.
“I’m exhausted all the time,” she stated.
“People often see the highlights of my life, but they don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes.”
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the protective lining of the mind and spine, slowly shutting down the body’s communication methods.
Over time, the nervous system begins to interfere. This causes the individual to slowly lose motor function throughout the body structure.
Many sufferers become partially or completely paralyzed after years of fighting the disease.
Ms Hanson says she will keep pole dancing as long as she can and that directing her art can be very rewarding.
Ms Hanson spent three weeks in hospital after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017
Despite her illness, Ms Hanson has refused to give up on pole dancing and recently took half in a national showcase
“I love seeing all the women who come in here and completely transform and come out of their shells and be happy and confident,” Ms Hanson said.
“It doesn’t matter your age or height or anything like that, she makes you feel good, everything is fine.”
She had a message of hope for many who shared her plight.
“To all MS warriors, you are amazing,” she said.
“Don’t give up on your dreams. It’s not the end, it’s the beginning.
“So follow your dreams and keep being great.”
