Demi Schweers is sharing a heartbreaking update on her battle with multiple sclerosis after a troll claimed her health struggles are “fake.”
“Sharing this update with this vile comment as a glimpse of [what] having a most[ly] invisible illness is like,” Schweers, 32, wrote via a TikTok caption on Thursday, August 7, alongside a screengrab of the social media user’s comment that read, “What happened to Demi’s fake MS journey?”
The influencer — who has been vocal about her battle with the autoimmune disease and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) — then revealed that she got some “really s***ty news” after having an MRI a few weeks prior.
“Since 2020 I have been completely stable MS wise, no new lesions,” Schweers explained in the heartfelt video. “But I just got the news that I have a new lesion, so that really sucks.”
As her new reality sunk in, Schweers started to get tears in her eyes.
“F***. I don’t even know what to say,” she confessed. “I just hope that insurance approves this new medication and I’m able to get stable again and everything stays the same. OK, I need to process this.”
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the brain and spinal cord where the body’s immune system “attacks the protective cover of nerve cells,” according to Mayo Clinic. The illness can lead to scars or lesions and blocked signals from the brain can create issues with movement, vision and balance.
Demi, who shares two children with husband Tom Schweers, expanded upon her health issues in the TikTok caption, calling out the troll who claimed she was making it all up.
“I’ve been really in my head the past few days and trying to stay as positive as possible,” she wrote, noting once again that she was diagnosed with MS in 2020.
Demi recalled that at her “worst” she couldn’t walk, lost her vision in her right eye and had “chronic fatigue and brain fog.”
The content creator explained that since 2021, she’s been “stable” and found a medication that was “working” and made her feel “good” during her back-to-back pregnancies. (Demi welcomed daughter Nora in May 2023 and son Theodore in June 2024.)
“That all changed this past Sunday. I had an MRI two and a half weeks ago and as this has become standard for me I wasn’t too worried about my results,” Demi shared. “I logged and and saw the words ‘NEW LESION: present, upper vertical cord’ & ‘T1characteristics: T1 hypointensity.’”
She recalled feeling “upset, numb, sad, scared” and countless other emotions while trying to process the news.
Demi revealed that she later received a message from a neurologist she’d “never spoken to before,” which upped her anxiety about the new lesion.
After a few days, Demi was told she needed another MRI on her brain, cervical spine and thoracic spine but all tests are being scheduled out at least four to five months in advance.
“I’m hoping that with this new finding I’m able to get in sooner,” she added. “As of right now, I don’t really know what this means for me in my health and I’m honestly a little bit scared.”
The Iris Nutrition founder noted, “The only thing I can do right now is wait to find out when my MRI will be scheduled and go from there. I’m gonna continue to live my life as normally as I can without getting in my head.”
She concluded by saying that she chose to share her story so that “someone else in their health journey feels less alone.”
“Having chronic illness and one that’s typically invisible is so difficult — but we’re in this journey together. 🧡 #multiplesclerosis #ms #update,” Demi wrote.
Despite the one hater claiming Demi was “faking” her illness for years, the majority of the comments on her TikTok were full of hope and support.
“I found your page when I was diagnosed and you have been such a light in my life,” one social media user wrote in the comments section. “I call my lesions brain glitter. You just got new glitter. ✨ I hope that helps 💕.”
Another person replied, “Demi I’m so sorry to hear things have flared up again. It’s so messed up someone would comment this.”
Demi’s husband, 37, also commented on the clip, writing, “I love you.”
