Life changing treatment

On August 25th 2010 my life changed forever....or so I thought I was  diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.(PPMS)

Those words were already so familiar to me as my Mother also had this illness and after contracting pneumonia sadly past away in 1998.

I know first hand how this ilness will effect me and my mobility is heading towards me having to concede to the use of a wheelchair full-time.

I want to be able to walk without the use of a leg brace and  my mobility scooter, again without the fear of falling over.

My fatigue can hit at any time and wipes me out with me having no energy to move and even talk.

Having this treatment would mean I get to control my walking, having control of when I go to the toilet, having the use of my arm and leg and becoming tired the 

I sincerly thank you for your time to read through this and your donation.

MS is a degenerative disease with no cure; it affects mobility, sight, bladder, bowel, swallowing, breathing, sexual function,cognitive function...in fact, just about everything that we take for granted. HSCT uses stem cells harvested from the patient to 'reset' the immune system, but first, the faulty immune system must be wiped out with chemotherapy. It is an invasive, but tried and tested procedure.

HSCT (Hemotopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation) is the only existing scientifically proven treatment currently available that completely halts disease progression of Multiple Sclerosis. It is not a new procedure as such, as it has been used to treat cancer since the 1960’s, but it is a relatively new treatment for MS. The UK does not currently treat patients with no evidence of enhancing lesions, although overseas facilities have had significant success in this area - hence Mexico for Michael.

Overall, approximately 85% of the entire MS population, on average, will experience benefit from HSCT. The aim of HSCT is to STOP progression - it may be that there is no visible improvement - but that is rare. As long as Michael doesn't progress, HSCT will have done its job. Many people report significant improvements one year on from HSCT.

The aim of AHSCT is to ‘reset’ the immune system to stop it from attacking the central nervous system. Haematopoietic stem cells are not the type of stem cells that would be expected to change into or regenerate permanently damaged nerves or other parts of the brain and spinal cord.

The treatment uses high doses of chemotherapy and antibody treatments, and therefore is more intensive and higher risk than most other MS treatments and involves a number of steps:

Collection or ‘harvesting’ of stem cells from the bone marrow or blood of the person receiving treatment

Purification and freezing of the harvested stem cells until they are required

Administration of chemotherapy to wipe out an individual’s white blood cells

Infusion of the thawed stem cells to help ‘reset’ the immune system

The costs of the treatment and accommodation for Michael and his carer are approximately £55,000, excluding flights. As well as treatment, these costs cover transportation to / from arriving airport and to / from clinic for treatment . Michael will spend approximately 1 month undergoing the treatment in Mexico.

The possibility of having this treatment in the UK is slim and also sadly costs £97,000.00