Author - MCS Aware

The Gift of being Chemically Sensitive

Hello Let me introduce myself. I am MaLou, I live in Warwickshire and I have been living with Chemical Sensitivities for over thirty years. Whilst it is a heavy burden on my life it has gifted me an awareness of the impact that chemicals have in our garden.  The natural ecosystem...

Cathy’s Story

My name is Cathy and I am 63, single and have lived alone since the death of my mother in 2020. I was a carer for my mother in her final nine years when she developed Alzheimer's. I live in Sheffield in the UK. I have been unwell since childhood but...

MCS Awareness Month 2025

We are taking the opportunity this May for international MCS Awareness month, to raise awareness of this misunderstood illness and promote how to raise funds for MCS Aware. Below you can read a heartfelt poem from one of our longstanding members who has been severely impacted by the symptoms of Multiple...

Roxanne’s Poem

Through the Looking Glass As I gaze into the looking glass-what do I see? A WHOLE WORLD on the other side beckoning me! Family meals, warm log fires, a fun-filled holiday All the things that freedom brings, a mere hairs breadth away. As I reach out my hand, I touch cold glass And I wonder what...

Marie’s Story

Name: Marie Age: 44 Gender: Female Relationship status: Single Family Situation: no children Employment: Unemployed since August 2024 (due to illness including MCS) Residential Status: Living with family Geographical residence; Belfast I have been living with difficulties around exposure to some chemicals and fragrances for approximately 18 years. This became worse in work since July 2023 when...

Lily’s Story

Lily (Not real name); 68 years of age; female; married; not employed or working; lives in own home with husband; lives in the West Midlands; mostly house-bound because of environmental pollution. I had suffered from perfume sensitivity from my 30s although it became much worse in my 40s when I became...

What is MCS and what can I do about it

MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) occurs when the body’s immune and detoxification systems stop working properly. Sufferers experience a number of different symptoms following exposure to low levels of everyday chemicals - such as paints, perfumes and pesticides - e.g. their skin, lungs or nervous system may be affected. As MCS worsens,...

Laurie’s Story

Hi, I am a woman in her sixties, and have been living with a kind of generalized super-sensitivity for much of my life. It is like living in a world where the majority of people seem to be blissfully unaware of the soup of hazards and toxins that they live...

Do You Suffer Chemical Intolerance? Find out here with the QEESI Test

 You can find out if you have chemical intolerance by answering these 3 questions from Hoffman TILT’s Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI): Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies,...