Henri Goethals

Country: Belgium
Age: 62
Type of MS: Progressive MS
Year of Diagnosis: 1979



One day, I was hiking in Corsica with my brother when, suddenly, I couldn’t move my leg. My brother had to wait until I regained enough strength to put one foot in front of the other for us to finish our walk. Before that, I had felt fatigued and had some problems with my leg but now I knew something was wrong.

I returned to Brussels and had some medical tests with a neurologist, including a lumbar puncture, which I was apprehensive about due to the side effects. After the tests, my worst fears were confirmed when the neurologist announced “suspicion of MS”, that was 1979.

I was a chemist in an electrical construction factory and initially I was able to continue my job in a manual wheelchair, then in an electric one, but when I could no longer write legibly I had to stop working. At this time working from home was not possible as the technology was not yet in place.

In 1986 I had a relapse which left me quadriplegic for several days and it became more and more obvious that I had MS. I saw another neurologist who gave me an MRI scan. When he told me that there was no doubt that I had MS I couldn’t avoid feeling depressed, even though the confirmed diagnosis came as a relief to me.

I had to decide what to do with the rest my life as my situation was worsening. So I moved to a small residential community in a different part of Brussels. Currently, as I am quadriplegic and I need help to do everyday tasks, such as eating and putting my spectacles on my nose, many of my retired neighbours generously use their free time to support me.

A team of volunteers and developments in technology help me to live as independently as possible. I have an electronic control system in my house and my wheelchair that I operate with my chin, which enables me to turn on the lights, open doors, use my computer and go food shopping.

I am a member of the Belgian MS Society’s “La Clef” publication editorial team, and have participated in the executive board of the Brussels branch of the MS society for the last 14 years.

I can still travel without fear or anxiety. Each year three friends and I enjoy travelling the "Chemins de Saint Jacques" route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Two friends travel the 300km by bicycle, I travel by wheelchair on the train and one friend drives a van with our belongings. Access to transport such as train and underground for wheelchair users has really improved over the last 20 years, but this issue needs to remain on the agendas of MS societies.

Today, with years of hindsight, my attitude towards the disease has evolved considerably. In the beginning, nothing was stable or predictable, and everything was frightening. Now that the disease has taken a quieter course, life has become easier. Although I am 62 years old, I have the impression that I can look to the future with hope and without anxiety.