Well, firstly, none of her success comes easily. Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2008, a year after her first son was born and right in the middle of her PhD, Melita persevered to work around cognitive fog, fatigue and nerve pain, completed her PhD and embarked upon a career in academia.

But life is all about balance, something she could see slowly getting away from her. Melita, now 38, reached out to the MS Employment Support Service for help.

The not-for-profit service offered by Multiple Sclerosis Limited helps people living with the disease to keep their job or find a new one. The success of the service rests on its specialist approach.

Clients of the program are three times more likely to find employment than if they sought support from a generic employment consultant, and 85 per cent of clients are still in the same role two years later.

"I've used MS services since my diagnosis, including education sessions and webinars and even a scholarship which allowed me to purchase a new laptop," Melita said.

"But since then I've been ploughing my way through work and family life, fitting it all in but sometimes not really coming up for air.

"I work across several locations and travel frequently, and this can be particularly fatiguing, which affects time I should be enjoying with my family and my capacity to work.

"I'd heard about the MS Employment Support Service, so I thought I'd give them a call for a chat about my work situation and get some advice on how I could manage it better."

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That phone call led quickly to a home visit, an assessment of her situation and workstation equipment to enable her to work remotely.

"I work two days a week from home on average now, which means several hours less commuting, as well as saving time and energy used just to get to the office," Melita said.

"I have more time and energy with the family and am more productive at home than I am in the office!"

The MS Employment Support Service has also organised support to get Melita into exercise classes, purchased some cooling clothing and recommended phone applications that will help her organise her work and schedule.

"There's a guilt that comes with seeking assistance from an organisation like MS, you tell yourself there are other people in harder situations that need more help than you," Melita said.

"In fact, getting support at an early stage like this often helps keep you well. The Service has allowed me to work better, and for longer. If I'd just kept at it and been stubborn, I would have burned myself out."

The MS Employment Support Service is now available in the ACT - contact MS Connect on 1800 042 138 or on msconnect@ms.org.au for more information. You can also visit the website at msaustralia.org.au.