Mission Stadiums for Multiple Sclerosis

My MS Story by Julian Uccello

If you let yourself down, then you have already lost

My MS started in 2011 and has been a very very hard struggle for me. It’s something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. After 20 years of sacrifice and hard work to become a professional soccer player; making it to the highest levels in the world you (MS) had to show up and ruin a young man’s dream.

Being diagnosed with MS was not only hard for me to swallow but even harder for my family; which in most cases hurt even more because they are the last people you want to hurt. Unfortunately, my dream had to come to an end along with all my willpower and strength. No matter what I did I was always in a dark place…depression and loneliness were the main things in my life, it was a black hole that I couldn’t get out of. It took me a good 3 years to get myself out and about again, to be able to look myself in the mirror, and to not think of what I was before. I had to realize that this had to be the new me. Someone who has been dealt with the worst hand in poker has to put on a poker face and go with the flow.

Slowly but surely I was able to get out there and get back into the “soccer world” in the way of coaching. I led my soccer team to be #1 in North America! To see the kid’s eyes just open up when they accomplished something so amazing made me forget about all my pain and emptiness from this struggle with MS. I finally met the woman of my dreams and got married. A woman who when I told her that I had MS didn’t run, didn’t get scared, and wasn’t pushed away but instead said “screw it. We can beat it. Don’t worry I’m by your side forever.” She made me realize that this was just an obstacle in my life that I had to beat.

Even though I have yet to beat it. I will. I did the impossible by making it into the soccer world playing and with AC Milan (not to toot my own horn). NO Canadian or American has ever done this. That should be something I look towards as a drive to say, I will beat MS. I will put my MS in the past just like the soccer world and I will not be resentful but will be happy doing it.

If I can say one thing to everyone who is dealing with MS, it would be…Only you can pick yourself up, if you let yourself down then you have already lost.

My MS started in 2011 and has been a very very hard struggle for me. It’s something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. After 20 years of sacrifice and hard work to become a professional soccer player; making it to the highest levels in the world you (MS) had to show up and ruin a young man’s dream.

Being diagnosed with MS was not only hard for me to swallow but even harder for my family; which in most cases hurt even more because they are the last people you want to hurt. Unfortunately, my dream had to come to an end along with all my willpower and strength. No matter what I did I was always in a dark place…depression and loneliness were the main things in my life, it was a black hole that I couldn’t get out of. It took me a good 3 years to get myself out and about again, to be able to look myself in the mirror, and to not think of what I was before. I had to realize that this had to be the new me. Someone who has been dealt with the worst hand in poker has to put on a poker face and go with the flow.

Slowly but surely I was able to get out there and get back into the “soccer world” in the way of coaching. I led my soccer team to be #1 in North America! To see the kid’s eyes just open up when they accomplished something so amazing made me forget about all my pain and emptiness from this struggle with MS. I finally met the woman of my dreams and got married. A woman who when I told her that I had MS didn’t run, didn’t get scared, and wasn’t pushed away but instead said “screw it. We can beat it. Don’t worry I’m by your side forever.” She made me realize that this was just an obstacle in my life that I had to beat.

Even though I have yet to beat it. I will. I did the impossible by making it into the soccer world playing and with AC Milan (not to toot my own horn). NO Canadian or American has ever done this. That should be something I look towards as a drive to say, I will beat MS. I will put my MS in the past just like the soccer world and I will not be resentful but will be happy doing it.

If I can say one thing to everyone who is dealing with MS, it would be…Only you can pick yourself up, if you let yourself down then you have already lost.