Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system with wide-ranging effects. It is a condition that most commonly affects women of childbearing age. Until recently, women with MS were discouraged from becoming mothers but studies have found that pregnancy and birth do not negatively affect the course of MS.
This research sought to discover the capabilities of whānau to adapt to their circumstances and maintain their wellbeing when one or more of its members lived with a disability. The whānau has traditionally been seen as the primary social and economic unit for Māori. However, recent research has concluded that the whānau is the secondary unit for Ma-ori with disabilities, with the household being the primary unit:
