Learning that your child has multiple sclerosis (MS) can trigger feelings of fear, sadness, and uncertainty. If you’re a parent or caregiver to a child or teen living with MS, finding emotional support for yourself is critical so you can be there for your child.
Pediatric MS is relatively rare, so joining a pediatric MS support group can help you feel less alone. It can also provide an outlet for your child or teen to connect with other kids living with MS, since it isn’t always easy to meet other children with the condition.
To help you get started, we’ve included a roundup of support groups, links to their websites, and a brief description of what each has to offer.
A quick online search will pull up several support groups for MS, but only a few are specific to pediatric MS. The good news is many of these broader MS groups have subgroups dedicated to parents and caregivers.
Types of support include:
- online support groups
- Facebook community pages
- in-person groups
- mental health counseling
- helplines (via telephone)
In order to determine the most appropriate type of support your child might need, talk with them to learn what their concerns are and what they might benefit from talking with others about.
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