Ten years ago Stephen Papadopoulos woke up one morning and couldn't walk.
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He couldn't walk for the next nine weeks.
This morning the MS Readathon ambassador was operating on only two-hours sleep but happily helped launch the 2019 MS Readathon at The Illawarra Grammar School in Wollongong.
The 40-year-old, who has lived with multiple sclerosis for 24 years, has always looked at the bright side of life.
"I can walk, I can run, I can bike-ride, I can dance....I prefer to look at things I can do as opposed to things I can't do," Mr Papadopoulos said.
"People always say to me you're always happy, smiley and so positive. Why are you so happy when you live with pain?
"It is because of all of the people out there supporting people like me.
"The kids reading books. The people sponsoring them. The people that take part in other events like the MS Sydney to Gong bike ride.
"Some 10,000 bike riders riding 82 kilometres. That really keeps a smile on my face, knowing there is good people out there who are trying to make a difference for me is pretty amazing.
"It is priceless really."
Mr Papadopoulos was 22-years-old when he was diagnosed with MS, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system that affects an estimated 25,000 people throughout Australia.
But he has been living with the disease, whose symptoms include debilitating fatigue, severe pain, mobility decline and thinking and memory problems, for 24 years.
"I was relieved when diagnosed because for six years I had symptoms," he said.
"When you can't feel hot and cold, when you can't feel your body parts, when you have pins and needles over your entire body, you question your sanity.
"It is things people can't see. You wonder whether it is really happening or am I making it up, am I going crazy.
"Being diagnosed was a relief."
Popular Shoalhaven-based children's author Allison Tait, creator of bestselling The Mapmaker Chronicles series, also dropped by TIGS for MS Readathon launch.
Already a record-breaking 15,000 primary and junior high school students across Australia have signed up to raise funds to send people living with multiple sclerosis on special family camps.
"The MS Readathon gives kids a reason to read. Reading is great for helping children at school, and reading is a lot of fun, but the real secret power of stories is the opportunity to see inside a different life," Ms Tait said.
"When you read about a character, you learn about how other people think and feel and things they're going through. You learn that everyone experiences the challenges of growing up - and that, really, we're not so different after all."
Students raise money for MS by getting sponsored for reading as much as they can during the month of August. At the same time students develop their love of books and reading.
MS Limited CEO John Blewonski credits the Readathon's interactive website with the rapid rise in the number of children signing up this year.
The website's use of interactive avatars and reader reviews delivers a crossover of traditional reading and modern technology that represents the best of both worlds.
"The fact that so many children have embraced the challenge through the website is a real eye-opener for us and shows how technology and reading aren't always in opposite corners," Mr Blewonski said.