At 72, she whizzes past to attend to Multiple Sclerosis patients

Driving an ambulance to ferry patients with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system, is one among an array of tasks Gonsalvez juggles with. “We had a full-time driver till some years ago, but then we realised we could manage without one. So I began driving the ambulance,” says the 72-year-old chairperson of the Chennai chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI), who has the ambulance stationed always outside her residence in Nungambakkam. 

Her day begins with attending calls from patients – doubts about new symptoms, requests for funds, medicines, aid, queries for doctor visits, etc. At times, her day ends with calls as well. 

“The disease comes with a number of problems. It can cause depression among patients due to the stigma and the expensive treatment, rendering them helpless, most often in the prime of their lives,” she says. 

Having only handled accounts while at YWCA and Zonta International, she was a little sceptical when a friend suggested the cause that demanded a lot of emotional stamina. 

“But after talking to my sisters, I was convinced I could do it,” says Gonsalvez, who established the Chennai Chapter in 1997. 

She has also been working with state and central governments for the welfare of the patients. “We have 43 of them enrolled in the Chief Minister ‘s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.” 

In dealing with a disease which has no cause or cure, the most heart-breaking part is the toll it takes on young adults – those in the 14 to 40 years age group, mostly women. 

“Each patient has different symptoms and needs different treatment. It becomes a life-long relationship with the patients — from the disease to their family, children and society. They are disturbed, and with careers and finance being affected due to the expensive treatment regimen, there is emotional turmoil. It becomes more fulfilling and rewarding, when they come out of it and say, ‘Yes, I am ready to face it,’” she says.