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Never give up, never give in

Alun Jones

Open Door - November 2010 pages 14-15

The fight to keep to a life with meaning

Alun Jones Alun Jones

Back in 2000 at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with MS. After many weeks of pain, scans, lumbar punctures and eye co-ordination awareness tests, finally I knew what was giving me so much difficulty.

At the time I was a full time employee for a teachers union with responsibility for Wales and the new Welsh Assembly, which had just been inaugurated. I loved my work having been a teacher and then teachers' representative for almost 30 years. I struggled on for almost a year but finally the walking too and fro from office to the Assembly and the driving around Wales was too much.

I took a retirement package and left but I decided there and then that I was not going to let this illness beat me. My watch words in work had been a line from the film Zulu - in answer to a question, "Why us?" from a soldier, the Sgt Major says "Because we're here lad - there's nobody else, just us!" I resolved to continue to cling to those words and - NEVER GIVE UP - NEVER GIVE IN!

What could I do? Well first I needed to know more about this illness that afflicted me. I learned about the various types of MS and discovered I now had the secondary progressive type. All the more reason to pack in as much as I could - I was not going to be maudlin - I was going to enjoy life and continue to pay back those who helped me.

Payback 1 was to my family. I cared for my aged father for many years and found a new meaning to care via the wonderful people who aided me through a difficult time right up to my father's death. I became a trustee/board member of the carers charity Crossroads thereafter and maintain this link.

Payback 2 was to the sport I have loved since I could walk - rugby, notably MY team Pontypridd RFC. Ever since I came 'home' to Wales I had been a season ticket holder at my valley club. Years of enjoyment deserved some recompense. I volunteered to help in any way I could - office work, selling tickets for big games (and there were some in the early days of the new millennium), painting the fences and goalposts atop a cherry picker. Finally I served on the Board of Directors and became Secretary to the Supporters' Club. The kindness, friendship, helpfulness, acceptance of my condition and sheer good naturedness of the superb people of Ponty RFC are a source of immense pride to me and no little gratitude. As you can imagine the trench humour of a rugby club is fairly near the bone and sometimes downright rude if you take it the wrong way. I have had numerous nicknames - Davros (the evil genius in a wheelchair from Dr Who) being the only one I can commit to paper!

Payback 3 arose from my rugby connections. I was asked to broadcast a weekly rugby preview on the local volunteer community radio station, GTFM 107.9. This grew into a supporter phone in programme, then a weekly rugby interview with local players and personalities, then Welsh legends like JPR Williams and JJ Williams. Finally I was coaxed to the other side of the microphone and I now do a four hour music/chat show each week. I am now also a trustee of the station and I love every moment of my involvement. Again, the people who work at GTFM are the kindest you would ever wish to meet - it renews my faith in human kindness every time I visit.

Finally I resolved to see as much of the world as I could. I have seen rugby in South Africa, New Zealand, Europe, Hong Kong and Dubai. I hope, with the help of my wonderful, understanding wife and my twin brother, to continue gadding about. The British Lions in Australia being my aim for 2013!

So my two watch words/phrases remain at the forefront of my thoughts!

"Because we're here lad - there's nobody else!" tells me to go for everything that brings me happiness and repays the kindness of the ordinary folk of my homeland.

And

"Never give up - never give in" tells me there is no point in becoming a recluse and meekly accepting your own medical fate. Get up, get in there and fight it. Show the world that MS will not be allowed to be a badge of despair.

NEVER GIVE UP - NEVER GIVE IN!

Live life to the fullest measure possible. It works for me, try it!

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