What disability does Kadeena Cox have? Multiple sclerosis explained

22 November 2021, 18:19

Kadeena Cox is a gold medal winning athlete who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014. Picture: Getty/ITV

By Alice Dear

What disability does Kadeena Cox have? What is multiple sclerosis and how is it caused?

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Kadeena Cox, 30, is among the stars appearing on this year's I'm A Celebrity.

She joins a host of other big names including Richard Madeley, Danny Miller and Frankie Bridge, also competing for the title of King or Queen of the Castle.

Kadeena is best known for being a gold medal-winning Paralympian, winning titles in para-sprint and para-cycling events.

The Leeds-born star competed as an able-bodied athlete before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014.

Kadeena Cox was diagnosed with MS in 2014 following a stroke. Picture: Getty

Here's everything you need to know about her condition:

What disability does Kadeena Cox have?

Kadeena Cox has multiple sclerosis.

In 2014, the athlete suffered a stroke which lead to the diagnosis from her doctors after she started experiencing burning sensations in her right arm and a numbness across her body.

Kadeena did not let the diagnosis hold her back from her dreams and became a Paralympian.

Two years later, Kadeena won a gold, silver and bronze medal at Rio in 2016.

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A post shared by Kadeena Cox (@kad21)

What is multiple sclerosis?

The NHS describe multiple sclerosis as: "A condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance."

What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis symptoms vary widely from person to person and can affect any part of the body.

However, the main symptoms include:

fatigue
difficulty walking
vision problems, such as blurred vision
problems controlling the bladder
numbness or tingling in different parts of the body
muscle stiffness and spasms
problems with balance and co-ordination
problems with thinking, learning and planning

Kadeena Cox won a gold, silver and bronze medal at Rio in 2016, two years after her stroke. Picture: Getty

What causes multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition which means something has gone wrong in the immune system, causing it to mistakenly attack healthy parts of the body.

In the case of MS, this is the brain or spinal cord of the nervous system.

It is not clear what causes multiple sclerosis, but experts believe it is a mixture of genetics and environmental factors.

Read more from the NHS here.