Russian Rescue for Liam
Donation protected
MS is the silent thief. It is slowly stealing Liam’s ability to walk, to do everyday things we take for granted, to play in the park with the children, to work, to live a normal life.
Liam was diagnosed with MS in 2000. At first the effects were manageable. Slowly his leg became weaker. After a few years he gave up his job as a painter as he could no longer physically manage it. He turned to farming where he could work and then rest when he needed. He built up a small herd of cows. The children loved naming the calves and we loved watching them grow. The farm barely covered costs but it kept Liam going and gave him purpose.
The children know daddy has MS and it means he limps and needs a walking stick, he can’t come to the zoo or on any trips if there are stairs or lots of walking. He can’t go to the cinema as he gets so stiff he can’t walk back to the car. He can’t play football or stand in the garden for long before he needs to sit down. If we go to McDonalds we have to park close to the door so Daddy doesn’t have to walk too far. Every day things became more and more difficult.
Over the last few years Liam started to slow down. Relapses meant stays in hospital and IV steroids over 4 days. At first the steroids meant a near full recovery but as time went by each relapse was worse and the recovery took longer and each time he was left a little weaker. A massive relapse in 2012 meant a week in hospital. His leg didn’t regain strength. Liam is waiting for a leg brace as his knee is buckling and arthritis in the near future is a real possibility. When Liam gets very weak it usually means he has an infection. His body is no longer able to fight them so he needs antibiotics straight away. They leave him weak and struggling to move at all.
This has been a very tough year for us. Liam’s MS is getting worse. His balance is very bad and the fatigue means everything is so much harder. If he sits down for too long his muscles stiffen up and finding the balance between resting and getting stiff is more difficult each day. Trips and falls are becoming a regular thing.
We had to make the difficult decision to sell off most of our cattle. I helped on the farm as much as I could but Liam could no longer manage. We had a few near misses with the cows and for the sake of safety we had to let them go. The last one to go on the truck was a pet. She would lick Liam when her calf was born and would follow him round the field. Watching the cows go was one of the hardest things we have ever done. This was one of Liam’s lowest days.
MS has been slowly crushing us. We have fought against the tide for so long but now it feels like we are drowning. The children keep us going but I don’t know how long Liam can keep fighting to stay walking. Our families and friends have been so encouraging, people have been so supportive and help as much as they can.
In Ireland this treatment is not available, many European countries and Canada are offering this treatment to citizens.
Any donation no matter how small can help get Liam to Russia. Please help us.
What does Liam have?
Liam was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS in 2000. He had it for a few years before being diagnosed. In MS the body’s immune system attacks itself and damages the nerves sending signals to the body from the brain. In relapsing remitting MS you have a relapse and then a period of recovery. As Liam’s MS progresses the relapses get worse and he is only partially recovering.
How does MS affect Liam?
For Liam it is like having a dead leg. The signals from Liam’s brain get muffled before they reach his leg. So his brain is telling his leg to move but it’s not getting the message. His foot is constantly catching on things. He limps and drags his leg. His balance is also affected so he has to use a stick and sometimes holds onto walls to try get around. He is at his strongest first thing in the morning within an hour Liam needs to stop and sit down. If he sits for too long he gets too stiff to move. He also has trouble keeping both eyes open when tired.
What treatment has Liam had?
Initially Liam was on Betaferon injections every second day for 10 years. He developed an abscess under an injection site and had to have surgery. After that it was decided that he could no longer take the injections. His consultant also thought the betaferon was no longer effective and Liam’s relapses meant he needed to move on to the next level of treatment. A tablet taken twice a day called Gilenya. Unfortunately Gilenya is no longer keeping the MS under control. He has also been to faith healers and tried changing his diet.
Why now?
Liam is on the line between relapsing remitting and secondary progressive. If he deteriorates much further his chances of recovery do too. If he is in a wheelchair a lot of centres will not go ahead with the treatment.
What does treatment involve?
The treatment involves harvesting Liam’s own stem cells from bone marrow or fat tissue and then chemo. When the chemo has killed his immune system they then transplant the harvested cells back into his body. Treatment takes 5-6 weeks. His immune system has to restart from scratch and full recovery can take over a year.
Liam was diagnosed with MS in 2000. At first the effects were manageable. Slowly his leg became weaker. After a few years he gave up his job as a painter as he could no longer physically manage it. He turned to farming where he could work and then rest when he needed. He built up a small herd of cows. The children loved naming the calves and we loved watching them grow. The farm barely covered costs but it kept Liam going and gave him purpose.
The children know daddy has MS and it means he limps and needs a walking stick, he can’t come to the zoo or on any trips if there are stairs or lots of walking. He can’t go to the cinema as he gets so stiff he can’t walk back to the car. He can’t play football or stand in the garden for long before he needs to sit down. If we go to McDonalds we have to park close to the door so Daddy doesn’t have to walk too far. Every day things became more and more difficult.
Over the last few years Liam started to slow down. Relapses meant stays in hospital and IV steroids over 4 days. At first the steroids meant a near full recovery but as time went by each relapse was worse and the recovery took longer and each time he was left a little weaker. A massive relapse in 2012 meant a week in hospital. His leg didn’t regain strength. Liam is waiting for a leg brace as his knee is buckling and arthritis in the near future is a real possibility. When Liam gets very weak it usually means he has an infection. His body is no longer able to fight them so he needs antibiotics straight away. They leave him weak and struggling to move at all.
This has been a very tough year for us. Liam’s MS is getting worse. His balance is very bad and the fatigue means everything is so much harder. If he sits down for too long his muscles stiffen up and finding the balance between resting and getting stiff is more difficult each day. Trips and falls are becoming a regular thing.
We had to make the difficult decision to sell off most of our cattle. I helped on the farm as much as I could but Liam could no longer manage. We had a few near misses with the cows and for the sake of safety we had to let them go. The last one to go on the truck was a pet. She would lick Liam when her calf was born and would follow him round the field. Watching the cows go was one of the hardest things we have ever done. This was one of Liam’s lowest days.
MS has been slowly crushing us. We have fought against the tide for so long but now it feels like we are drowning. The children keep us going but I don’t know how long Liam can keep fighting to stay walking. Our families and friends have been so encouraging, people have been so supportive and help as much as they can.
In Ireland this treatment is not available, many European countries and Canada are offering this treatment to citizens.
Any donation no matter how small can help get Liam to Russia. Please help us.
What does Liam have?
Liam was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS in 2000. He had it for a few years before being diagnosed. In MS the body’s immune system attacks itself and damages the nerves sending signals to the body from the brain. In relapsing remitting MS you have a relapse and then a period of recovery. As Liam’s MS progresses the relapses get worse and he is only partially recovering.
How does MS affect Liam?
For Liam it is like having a dead leg. The signals from Liam’s brain get muffled before they reach his leg. So his brain is telling his leg to move but it’s not getting the message. His foot is constantly catching on things. He limps and drags his leg. His balance is also affected so he has to use a stick and sometimes holds onto walls to try get around. He is at his strongest first thing in the morning within an hour Liam needs to stop and sit down. If he sits for too long he gets too stiff to move. He also has trouble keeping both eyes open when tired.
What treatment has Liam had?
Initially Liam was on Betaferon injections every second day for 10 years. He developed an abscess under an injection site and had to have surgery. After that it was decided that he could no longer take the injections. His consultant also thought the betaferon was no longer effective and Liam’s relapses meant he needed to move on to the next level of treatment. A tablet taken twice a day called Gilenya. Unfortunately Gilenya is no longer keeping the MS under control. He has also been to faith healers and tried changing his diet.
Why now?
Liam is on the line between relapsing remitting and secondary progressive. If he deteriorates much further his chances of recovery do too. If he is in a wheelchair a lot of centres will not go ahead with the treatment.
What does treatment involve?
The treatment involves harvesting Liam’s own stem cells from bone marrow or fat tissue and then chemo. When the chemo has killed his immune system they then transplant the harvested cells back into his body. Treatment takes 5-6 weeks. His immune system has to restart from scratch and full recovery can take over a year.
Organizer
Janet Banks
Organizer
County Westmeath
Begin your fundraising journey
