23,000 Australians live with multiple sclerosis (MS). Although tiny in comparison to the more well-known diseases, MS is the most common chronic disease of the central nervous system amongst young Australians. It is progressive, unpredictable and severely debilitating. And currently there is no cure for the disease, but treatment programs do exist to help defer its progression.

It is so complex and our understanding quite new, that many Australians live undiagnosed. For some forms of MS, only a staggering 10% of sufferers are diagnosed at onset. And if left untreated, 50% of those living with MS can progress to its most severe state as early as ten years.

The main reason people aren’t diagnosed at onset is because early MS may present itself as various vague symptoms, sometimes so subtle or subjective that sadly doctors are dismissive and unsympathetic. If doctors struggle to understand this disease, imagine the complexity in speaking to the public about an “invisible disease”.

Put simply, how do we ask people to care, let alone raise money for a disease no-one understands?

The truth is the symptoms of MS can be life shattering, are officially referred to as numbness, tiredness, dizziness, a lack of balance, pins and needles, pain and fatigue. Common phrases for everyday ailments which make a very serious disease all too missable, and very difficult to ignite vigilance around.

So to improve the understanding of MS and raise funds for the charity ride, we designed Multiple Sclerosis into a bicycle.

Working with Paralympian Gold Medallist Carole Cooke, physiotherapists, neurologists, bike mechanics, sport scientists and people living with MS we created a bike, hiding the debilitating symptoms of MS in its design. “This Bike has MS” was then ridden at the MS Cycle event by cycling Olympic champion Shane Kelly, shocking spectators, online viewers and journalists as the symptoms of MS made the bike so tough to ride he struggled to finish the charity race.

For the first time, family members, doctors and the public experienced first-hand the symptoms of MS. For the first, the symptoms which have been so difficult to describe have been translated into a language every single person can empathise with.

“This Bike has MS” grabbed the world’s attention garnering 8 million in earned media. It went on to raise $1 million worldwide for MS research and has resulted in new bikes being built in six different countries, all providing fresh perspectives and opening new conversations about the otherwise invisible symptoms of multiple sclerosis.