Meet Bel

After at first struggling to come to terms with her dual diagnosis of MS and Epilepsy, Bel Sealey has since found a new lease of life at the heart of the neuro community – as the receptionist that welcomes visitors to MS Queensland’s first Neuro Wellness Hub.

When Bel was diagnosed, she felt completely lost. “It was awful. I had two young children in primary school at the time, and it just felt like my whole world was falling apart.”

Bel didn’t know much about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the time, but she had watched her stepmother die from another neurological condition, Multiple System Atrophy. As her only reference, her mind immediately jumped to the worst. “I was thinking, ‘There goes my career,’ ‘I’m going to be in a wheelchair,’ ‘I’m going to die.’ Then you start searching on the internet, desperately looking for information, and you become totally overwhelmed. 

Fortunately, a friend gave Bel some great advice: “Just go see MS Queensland.” When she did, she received invaluable resources as well as access to an MS Nurse. “He was a lifeline for me. It’s hard to put into words just how much he helped me.” 

At the same time, Bel was experiencing seizures, which she put down to an unexpected symptom of her MS. “It was like my brain would just shut down. One seizure lasted a full six minutes – it completely wiped me out.” It wasn’t until 2022 that she was diagnosed with another – in her case, unrelated – neurological condition: epilepsy.  

Bel took some time off from her job as a primary school teacher to focus on her health, with the support of an MS Nurse who also specialised in epilepsy. It took eight months to find the right balance of medication to treat both her MS and her epilepsy and stabilise her condition. Bel returned to her job as a primary school teacher part-time. But balancing the role and her conditions became too much, and she officially retired in 2022. 

Or so she thought. 

Shortly after she retired, a member of the MS Queensland team encouraged Bel to apply for a role in their team. She got the job - and is now the smiling face that welcomes visitors to the first Neuro Wellness Hub in Milton. 

“When I think back to who I was when I started this job, it’s like a different person. I just had no confidence. But being back at work, learning new skills – not to mention being right in the heart of the neuro community, and even using my teaching skills to help people learn more about neurological conditions – it truly changed my life.” 

Talking about the Neuro Wellness Hub, Bel says: “It’s such a special place. The word that comes to mind for me is safe. Everyone here has such a big heart, and you really feel that in the space. I used to have anxiety about coming to appointments, in environments that felt medical, like you were being judged. I worried about the impact it would have on my kids coming to places like that. It’s so different here: it’s a place that fills you up and gives you the strength to move forward.”

Bel has been doing the Moonlight Walk for several years, and this year she’s going to walk as part of a team for the first time. “I get emotional just thinking about it. To be walking alongside my kids, my friends, and some of the amazing team of people who have supported me over the years, means everything to me.”

Today, Bel is stronger than ever - something that she puts down to a great support team, exercise, and mindfulness techniques. In fact, she says that people are sometimes surprised to learn about her condition.

“That’s the thing about a neuro condition – it can be such an invisible illness. To understand somebody’s journey you have to talk to them, and really listen. And I highly recommend you do. You’ll be so inspired by what you learn.”

Will you help people like Bel?