Welcome
Empowering Communities and supporting multiple sclerosis & sickle cell
Join us in making a difference for Confirmed Anomalies!
About Confirmed Anomalies
Who are Confirmed Anomalies
Confirmed Anomalies CIC was established in 2022. The name Confirmed Anomalies derives from the odds of having multiple sclerosis or sickle cell.
Did you know, 1 in 333 people will have multiple sclerosis, and 1 in 79 babies in the UK are born with sickle cell. These statistics demonstrate that having either of these conditions make you an anomaly in today' society.
We work closely with those affected by multiple sclerosis or sickle cell. We support the specified scope by identifying their needs and providing knowledge, guidance and signposting them to the helpful products and services.
Our Purpose
At Confirmed Anomalies, our mission is to provide support for those who are affected by multiple sclerosis and sickle cell.
At Confirmed Anomalies, we understand that there are many factors that prevent the specified scope from liaising with the companies that provide products, services or support needed to improve and manage these conditions.
Therefore, our core mission is to bridge the gap between medical societies, service providers, service users and carers to improve the quality of their health and the longevity of their lives.
Additionally, we advocate the awareness and understanding of multiple sclerosis and sickle cell, by offering advice, guidance and support via informative events, training and webinars.
Our Aims
We aim to support the specified scope by connecting them with relevant companies that provide services and products that will improve their health and well-being.
- To host two events this year (2024)
- To build the awareness of MS and sickle cell
- To setup a virtual mobility class
Our backstory
Alex Deans, the founder of CA has provided an account of his experience with Multiple sclerosis.
“I've always been an active person, very outgoing, ambitious and bubbly. I was studying for a degree in Civil Engineering which had been a passion of mine, when I had my first symptoms of MS. At the time I blamed my stumbling and poor balance on tiredness, and I blamed my blurred vision on some contact lenses I’d worn as part of a Halloween costume.
When my eye issues didn’t clear up, I went to the opticians. He told me that something wasn’t quite right about the clouding on the eye lens, so referred me to the hospital for an MRI.
At first, I was misdiagnosed with a cataract, following that I had three MRI scans and a lumbar puncture when the consultant finally sat me down and asked, "How old are you?" "23.." I responded. She sighed sharply and said, "I don't know how, but you have multiple sclerosis." I gazed around the room and zoned out because I had no idea what multiple sclerosis was but from her body language it couldn't have been good.
From my first symptoms, it took only five or six months before my diagnosis was complete.
After my diagnosis, I felt confused and quite distraught. I was living away from home which made me feel even more alone, plus there seemed to be very little information available on what I could do to improve my situation.
It was then I started to do my own research and I realised I needed to make much better lifestyle decisions if I wanted to improve my condition. At the time, I was still working towards my Civil Engineering degree, however, after a relapse, I had been left needing a wheelchair. I realised I had to start using the knowledge I had found and apply it to my daily routine.
I must admit at first, I procrastinated, however after a conversation with one of my peers I realised there's no better time than the present. From that moment on, I became vegan and started to engage in physiotherapy and physical activities to help improve my mobility. After six months of being in a wheelchair, I was finally able to walk again.
It didn't end there, I wanted to do more, I wanted my strength back plus more, and I wanted to surpass the barriers that the doctors had set out for me.
Fast forward a few years, I graduated in Civil Engineering but by now I felt that I wanted to help others, so I went back to studying, this time to become a personal trainer. I did this so I could maintain an active lifestyle as well as help improve other people’s physical and mental health.
I believe that fitness and wellbeing are very important whether you have multiple sclerosis or not. If you want to maintain a certain ability level, you need to do that activity frequently. I'm a firm believer in "if you don't use it, you lose it".
My advice would be, to start slowly and gradually ease yourself into increasing the intensity of your training. Even if you try and fail, you might not be motivated to but try again.
An important lesson for me is to set realistic goals, and to focus on a good level of consistency with my training. This helped me maintain constant progress, and you might find it will help you too.
Personal training is very rewarding, to know you have helped with someone's weight loss or gain, it's a wonderful feeling but the people who really need help are not in the gyms or at fitness centres, they are probably at home or maybe in a restaurant with no idea of how to help themselves. This is why I formed an organisation with my peers, that acts as a central hub for people affected directly or indirectly by multiple sclerosis or sickle cell. The organisation advises people on where they can seek assistance, how they can get support and where they can get the support they need.
During my relapses and even my rehabilitation, I did not feel that I had all the necessary resources available to get me to where I am now and this is one of the main reasons why CA was formed, to give people the opportunity and help I did not have.”
Programmes and Support
We offer a variety of programmes and services to support mental health, including counseling, support groups.
As a central hub, our main focus is implementing efficient ways to improve their scopes mental and physical health; an effective method was by hosting health and well-being events.
At our events, the relevant medical societies as well as local health and well-being companies are invited to showcase their products and services to improve the health of all that attend.
We also provide advice and information on how you could improve and maintain your health which can be viewed our social media platforms.
Our Impact
Over the past years, we have helped many individuals in our community improve their mental health and well-being. Our biggest factor is the events we host, this is where the magic really happens.