THE BROTHER'S
SUPPORT HUB
A group for black men living with Multiple Sclerosis to relax, be heard and get real.
About Us:
My name is Nikoma (aka Nik) and I was diagnosed with MS in 2018. I subsequently started attending a weekly MS group, which was helpful however what I noticed was:
A) I was one of a very small number of men in the room,
and,
B) the only black person in the room
This almost mirrored how I have felt since my diagnosis, and that is the feeling that I am the only black man living with MS. Whilst I know that this is not the case, it has been rare for me to meet other black men who are on this journey and so the 'Brother's Support Hub' was born.
I think the Hub is important because everything I saw growing up, and what I viewed as being a man, as displayed by my father – has been taken away by MS i.e. to protect and provide for my family as I used to. This has had a detrimental impact on my mental health, and this is something that a lot of people don’t realise about MS, is that it is not just the physical affects but also the mental.
So I want to give black men a safe space to be vulnerable, to share our experiences of living with MS and to gain support because so often traditional masculinity roles and stereotypes have caused us as black men to struggle with sharing our emotions and made us reluctant to seek help for our mental health.
What's The Format?
Weekly live zoom calls and regular in person meet-ups intended to build community and connection!
Interested in joining The Hub?
If you are a black man living with MS and would like to join The Brother's Support Hub, then please complete the form below
