A mum from Wirral has shared her experiences of multiple sclerosis (MS) to help shape a new Hollyoaks storyline coming out this week.

Kirsty Grice, who lives with her four-year-old daughter Lottie, was invited to the Hollyoaks set at Lime Pictures in Liverpool to help with a new storyline where Nancy Osborne will be diagnosed with relapsing MS.

The 32-year-old accountant spoke with scriptwriters and actress Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy in the leading soap, about what it’s like living with an incurable neurological condition.

She was joined by close friends, sisters Vicki Bithell and Kat Garner, whose parents also have MS.

Kirsty told the Hollyoaks team that she was just 17 when she first started experiencing strange symptoms: “I had terrible blurred vision when I was a teenager.

"It improved over time, but MS is really unpredictable and in 2009 my cheek felt wet and numb as if blood was dripping down my face. Around the same time, I was watching TV one night and my legs suddenly felt as if they’d been removed. It was the strangest sensation.”

She visited her GP and after nine months of tests, including an MRI, Kirsty was diagnosed with relapsing MS.

She confesses that the news was devastating: “I wondered how anyone would ever want to be with me when I didn’t even know how I was going to end up. I became really depressed.

"But with the support of friends and family, I’m now focusing on living in the moment and spending as much time as I can with my little girl who brings me so much joy.”

MS is an unpredictable condition that affects more than 100,000 people in the UK. It’s different for everyone, but is often painful and exhausting and can cause problems with how you walk, move, see, think and feel.

Sharing her story with the team at Hollyoaks was the first time Kirsty has opened up about her feelings and the challenges she faces daily to such a large group of people.

She says telling her story felt like counselling session: “I got quite chocked up at one point, and had to try my very hardest not to get upset.

"But at the same time, it feels so good to know something really good has come out of my bad experiences. It’s been a big achievement for me.”

She added: “Kat, Vicki and I were really excited to share our experiences with Hollyoaks.

"It was our chance to show what living with MS is really like and how it feels to watch someone you love battle often debilitating symptoms every day.

"It was also great to see where the show is filmed and visit iconic sets like The Dog in the Pond and Esther's Magic Bean!”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the MS Society, said: “It’s great to see that Hollyoaks is featuring a new storyline about multiple sclerosis.

“This is a really powerful opportunity to raise awareness of just how life-changing a diagnosis can be.

"More than 100,000 people live with MS in the UK. It’s really unpredictable and can be painful and exhausting.

“We’re looking forward to following Nancy’s journey with MS. We’d encourage anyone going through similar experiences to contact our helpline – 0808 800 8000.”

Find more information about MS or the MS Society at www.mssociety.co.uk 

The MS Society also has a free helpline – 0808 800 8000.