One Year: new book tells of Susan and Chris Bennett's year-long European journey after double MS diagnosis
A new memoir recounts the inspirational journey of a Greenisland couple, who took a year-long trip across Europe after they were both diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
‘One Year’ author Susan Bennett and her husband Chris were in their mid-thirties when they received the life-changing news in 2011.
“[Chris] had been experiencing problems with his eyesight for several years and the condition is often a precursor to MS,” Susan said. "My own journey was more of a shock, and came about due to an emergency hospital admission when other tests took place that discovered MS for me too.
"The official diagnosis came three days apart, in the same hospital room.”
Up until that point, the couple had lived normal lives since marrying in 1997. “Chris’s job in the Church of Ireland led to lots of moving around before we settled in Greenisland in 2010, close to our family homes in Newtownabbey,” Susan said.
"Working lives were very busy, with Chris’s role as a chaplain to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast and my work in a local charity alongside studying psychology. We both worked hard in [honesty box café] The Dock and we were also running our own small business, The Wee Tram, bringing tourists all round the Titanic Quarter."
Compounding the distressing health news was the loss of Susan’s brother Stephen, who was 43. “We started to realise that the time was now. There could be problems in the near future with our health, so the long-held dream of jumping in a campervan and driving into the sunset became a reality,” Susan recalled.
The couple bought Hans the Hymer van with the help of friends and family, and set off in May 2018. “We headed for the beauty of Scotland first, figuring some familiar landscapes (and driving on the left) would be a good start. Then it was on to England, France and Luxembourg for the first few weeks,” she added.
"Hans the Van decided to misbehave at this point and we had to come back to England to get it fixed. But then there was no stopping us - Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Croatia, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy, Spain and Portugal. We visited 17 countries over 361 days.”
Norway remains especially vivid in Susan’s memory: “It’s just so beautiful. Mile after mile of awe-inspiring views over lagoons and fjords that just keep going. I saw a wild goshawk at the top of a glacier and will never forget the sight - we stared at one another until I couldn’t breathe. Nature is incredibly healing.”
Their return home in May 2019 had its challenges, from job-hunting to reconnecting with the people they had left behind. “I now work in an arts organisation and write on days off,” Susan said. “Chris is working as a community chaplain in Greenisland and we know that part-time work is best for us now.
"Our health is up and down in terms of daily symptoms and regular treatment, but we remain grateful for the care of our health teams and hospital consultant.
"I’m continuing to learn the lessons from the open road and am better able to stop and rest, to appreciate the small things. The year in a van reminded me that the world is desperately beautiful. It’s ready to be found.”