Sarah and Millie Horton are identical twin sisters on a mission. Their mum was diagnosed with MS before they were born and as the girls grew up they watched her symptoms get progressively worse. Millie and Sarah’s passion and determination is palpable, and on April 1, 2017 they held the Kiss Goodbye to MS Charity Ball which raised just over $500,000 nett for research into MS. Over the preceding 12 months it was our absolute pleasure to work with these incredible women. The Kiss Goodbye to MS Charity Ball is our most successful single fundraising event in our history, and the half a million dollars raised on the night, with the ability to keep costs very low due to sponsorship and pro bono assistance, will have a huge impact on our mission to find the cure for MS.
Growing up Millie and Sarah found it hard to understand exactly what MS is, all they knew was that this disease was causing gradual reductions in their mum’s health. While growing up watching their mum battle with MS was difficult, it is her strength and courage that has given these incredible sisters the motivation to achieve so much in their lives, and make such a significant impact towards research into MS.
The Kiss Goodbye to MS Charity Ball was held at the beautiful Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne with 550 guests in attendance. The event was stunning, with endless auction items, amazing prizes, and guests dressed up to the nines. Our Kiss Goodbye to MS supporter, Kerrie Newton spoke on the night, telling the audience how MS has impacted her life, but also describing the difference that research into MS is making for her future. MS Research Australia CEO, Dr. Matthew Miles, welcomed guests and gave a speech on the often-described “roller-coaster ride that is MS”. He was given an impromptu round of applause when he talked about some recent Australian research breakthroughs and announced the registration in the US for the first ever treatment for primary progressive MS, Ocrelizumab. MS Research Australia continues to appropriately advocate for the therapy to be available here as soon as possible.
For Millie and Sarah, who both work in the investment banking world, their event was about hope for their mum and hope for every single person living with MS. The $500,000 they raised on the night will be specifically allocated to research dedicated to finding a cure for all types of MS.
We greatly look forward to keeping the family fully updated with the “impacts” from the MS research they have funded. Stay tuned for an upcoming article on the reason the girls came to fundraise for Kiss Goodbye to MS.
Millie and Sarah are a force to be reckoned with and are two women who, with their determination, will change the future of MS research. The Horton family have an incredible bond, and watching their mum battle with MS is incredibly frustrating, but has formed an unbreakable connection as a family of 4. They are a family that will not let anything, let alone their mum’s MS, stand in their way. In Millie and Sarah’s own words ‘the strength of our mum has always been, and continues to be, our motivator’.
