But she’s never been one to let the condition take control of her.
She has spent the last 25 years searching for a way to turn a bad thing into something more positive.
And to mark a quarter of a century living that life, and the ‘Never Let a Good Disaster Go to Waste’ book it inspired, Kat recently climbed two live volcanoes.
She said it was partly to inspire others to follow her life journey and become part of her “master of disaster” crusade to overcome suffering and adversity.
“A lot of people have asked me why I would do something that crazy at my age, and with my history of disabilities.
“My response is that you have to put your money where your mouth is.
“So what better challenge than to summit two volcanoes in the most natural disaster-prone country on Earth, in this case Vanuatu.”
The daring expeditions propelled her memoir to best-selling status on Amazon and saw her complete a whirlwind tour of Canada (her original home) where she featured on several national TV and radio shows.
It culminated in an interview with world renowned writer/director/actor Matt Embry (star of the MS Netflix documentary Living Proof).
The 52 year-old mum of three has now returned to her roots in the Riverina to promote her book.
“I spent 20 years battling my MS and, at one point, doctors told me I would most probably end up in wheelchair unable to feed myself.
“But because my whole life has been one long roller-coaster ride full of disasters, I refused to give in to my fate and found a way to cure myself.”
She was helped in no small part by the Riverina community, who in 2007 rallied together to send Kat overseas for radical stem cell therapy in Greece and Israel.
She made news headlines across Australia for being one of the first to undergo this highly controversial procedure which put her into remission.
Kat then transformed her life, both mentally and physically, using a combination of diet, exercise, yoga, meditation and Buddhist philosophy.
She hit the headlines again in 2020 after becoming stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific (Espiritu Santo) thanks to the twin disasters of Cyclone Harold and COVID.
Rather than lament her two and a half years of isolation, Kat used her time on the island to finish writing her memoir.
“The cover of the book is actually a picture of me standing in the middle of Category 5 Cyclone Harold, shouting ‘bring it on’.
“It was exhilarating and scary at the same time. I mean this was one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded in the south Pacific.”
Kat survived the cyclone, just like the many other crazy disasters in her life, and credits her positive attitude and outlook to her 12 principles for becoming a ‘Master of Disaster’.
“I created them just 12 hours after my husband left me on my 40th birthday.
“At the time, I was a mum of three recovering from radical surgery to address some of the symptoms of my MS and I felt like my whole world had been shattered.
“But then I told myself that I needed to see the disaster in a different light and so I flipped my perception around the situation.”
These 12 principles, based on a combination of Buddhism, Stoicism and her unique life experiences, form the basis of Kat’s memoir and have been instrumental in the Canadian-Australian finding courage and contentment within her chaos and ultimately triumphing over her tragedies.
“We all have to deal with adversity in our lives, but it’s how we perceive and react to it that determines whether we continue to suffer needlessly.
“Every disaster, betrayal or loss can either be seen as a terrible tragedy or as a series of unfolding life lessons.
“And you can choose to radically accept this and find ways to be grateful for the lesson or fight against it.”
While back in the Riverina to see her family, Kat will be conducting a number of book talks and workshops between April 3 and 18. She will also host yoga and wellness sessions.
For details of these events, go to www.katfinnerty.com.
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