Tipp woman is MS Day Ambassador
A Tipperary woman has helped to put a local face on a national campaign as part of MS Ireland’s World MS Day 2026 campaign, while also supporting awareness events in Tipperary and taking on her own fundraising challenge. Stephanie O’Brien, who lives in Clonmel, has been named the Tipperary World MS Day Ambassador for 2026.
She is also PRO of the South Tipperary MS Ireland branch and is taking part in the 20 Dips in May Challenge as part of her efforts to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and the realities of living with the condition.
World MS Day takes place each year on May 30 and is a global awareness day dedicated to highlighting the experiences of people living with MS. In Ireland, MS Ireland is marking the day with its 2026 campaign, MS Journeys: Many Faces, One Community, which brings together personal stories from ambassadors in counties across the country.
The campaign is built around a simple but powerful message: no two experiences of MS are the same. Every person’s journey is shaped by different symptoms, challenges, support systems and achievements. By sharing stories from all 26 counties, MS Ireland hopes to show the diversity of life with MS in Ireland while also highlighting the resilience, honesty and connection that unite the MS community.
Stephanie’s involvement in this year’s campaign reflects both her personal journey and her commitment to supporting others. She has spoken openly about the impact MS has had on her life and about the importance of helping the public better understand a condition that is often misunderstood.
For Stephanie, World MS Day matters because it creates space for awareness and recognition. “It raises awareness of a condition that not many people know the true impact of on someone’s life that lives with it.”
She describes living with MS as difficult, but also as something that has taught her strength and perspective.
“Living with MS isn’t easy, but it teaches you resilience and reminds you that while MS is part of your life, it doesn’t define who you are.”
Stephanie has also been honest about the hidden side of the condition and the frustration that can come with symptoms that are not always visible to others.
“One of the biggest misunderstandings is that MS is always visible. Many people with MS look completely fine on the outside while dealing with fatigue, cognitive issues, nerve pain, dizziness, or sensory problems that others can’t see.”
Her role as Tipperary ambassador is particularly fitting given her involvement with the local branch. Stephanie has described the support of the local MS community as hugely important in her own journey. She met members of the branch the day after she was diagnosed, something she now sees as a turning point.
Alongside her ambassador role, Stephanie is also doing the 20 Dips in May Challenge, adding a fundraising and awareness element to her World MS Day involvement. Her participation reflects the spirit of the campaign: visibility, determination and a refusal to let MS define what is possible.
World MS Day was marked locally in Tipperary through a special awareness event at Fethard Town Park on May 30. Fethard Town parkrun has once again offered local organisers the opportunity to raise awareness of MS on the day, and a Colour Run is planned to showcase the blue and red colours of MS Ireland.
As part of the month-long campaign, Stephanie’s story was featured alongside those of ambassadors from counties across Ireland, helping to build understanding and challenge misconceptions around MS.
FURTHER DETAILS
For more information on World MS Day 2026 and MS Ireland’s campaign, visit www.ms-society.ie.