Invergordon hairdresser raises money for lifelong friend to regain her 'freedom'

An Invergordon hairdresser has been raising money to help her lifelong friend living with MS to regain her 'freedom'.

Shannen Swanson (29) from Invergordon has been going cold water swimming for 12 days straight at Balintore Beach to raise money for a wheelchair accessible vehicle for her friend Leoni Widdows, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at age 16.

Shannen said: "She's a family friend, I've known her pretty much my whole life, and I’m her hairdresser too, that would be our strongest connection.

"I'm raising money for a vehicle that can withstand and take her chair on. Leoni has to have a special chair for her MS and she's either using the chair or in her bed, so she's dependant on the two, and she cant be taken out of her chair and put in the car – it needs to be a vehicle that can take her actual chair on.

So far Shannen's fundraising efforts have raked in over £3000.

Leoni explained what impact the vehicle would have on her life. She said: "Having the vehicle would allow me to visit family and friends, be able to get to hospital appointments and just allow me to have the freedom to get out with my fiancé and our two beautiful dogs.

"Having Shannen going out her way everyday to do something as selfless as this... It's very overwhelming to have someone who cares so much about giving you your life back, that they are willing to do whatever it takes.

"I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 not long after my 16th birthday, from then it’s been a downward spiral that has progressed really quickly and since the end of summer 2020, I’m now a full time wheelchair user because of it.

"I have a wonderful specialist nurse who is more like family now and my beautiful fiancé and my family and friends around me support me in any way they can."

Over Shannen's 12 days of cold water swimming at Balintore Beach, she has also managed to get others to join her along the way.

She said: "I set a challenge for 12 days of going cold water swimming in the sea to get people talking and boost the word.

When people do hear Leoni’s story they do want to help in some way because it is a touching story, she used to be fully mobile and able–bodied playing football and the bagpipes, but then she was diagnosed at 16 with MS, which got progressively worse pretty rapidly.

"I’m really enjoying the swimming, it’s helping me a lot as well. I don’t usually have a lot of time for myself to be honest. I have two jobs, three kids, and loads of animals, so I don’t really get much time, but I’ve been making the time for this, and I’ve decided that I’m going to keep it up as a hobby now because its definitely having a massive impact on my mental health. I think Leoni’s loving that too, she's loving that it's helping me as well as her."

Visit the GoFundMe page for Leoni here.

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