Help Ema fighting Multiple Sclerosis

Dear loving friends and family, please take a moment to read and share my cousin’s story. I want to help her get the medical treatment she needs to continue her life.

Ema Mitic was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the worst form of MS at the beginning of 2012, when she was 38 years old. MS is a disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin - the protective sheath covering nerves causing communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. MS results in loss of multiple body functions, unfortunately in Ema’s case MS caused difficulty walking resulting in immobility.

Ema’s symptoms started with weakness in her legs, after her first pregnancy. At the time, she didn’t know what it was and never thought that it could be something serious like MS. But after her second pregnancy, the illness started to take over and took away so much from her motherhood, family life, and significantly affected her career. Ema is a mom of two beautiful boys, age 11 and 13. She has a degree in literature, and she was a successful librarian loved by her community of young readers. But because of MS, and the lack of the support system in Serbia where she lives, Ema couldn’t work in the library anymore. Sadly, Serbia remains a conservative society, and not fully supportive of disabled women. Unfortunately, women that are not fully functional are marginalized, and there is a strong stigma around illnesses, especially neurological ones. As MS was progressing resulting in Ema's inability to walk and care for herself and her family, she lost support of her husband and is now counting on care by her elderly parents, which presents an emotional as well as a financial challenge.

Ema’s body doesn't listen to her anymore. She thinks that she is raising her legs to walk, but her body is not performing the function. In addition, Ema suffers from chronic pain, vertigo, and spasticity. Serbian medical care approved Ocrellizumab, biologic treatment, for Ema in 2021, nine years after diagnosis when disease took so much from her life and ability to walk. However, Ema remains positive and optimistic for her life with sons, dreaming about being able to be here for them in the future, and to continue her job as a librarian.

Ema recently started MS tailored robot-assisted physical therapy at the private clinic Neuromedic in Nis, Serbia. This novel approach in physical therapy is aiming to increase the range of motion and prevent the formation of adhesions in the soft tissue in Ema’s legs thus preventing permanent joint stiffness and slowing down progression of the disease. However, this is a long term and expensive approach. The Neuromedic Clinic has successfully treated people with MS and aims to stop the progression of the disease by robotic physical therapy, coupled with biologic treatment. This is currently Ema’s only hope.

In Ema’s case, time is her worst enemy, and we don't know how the next year will look for her without this treatment. She doesn’t want to give up. She wants to keep fighting for her sons with the hope to be able to be there for their graduations, perhaps even standing and hugging them. She hopes to be able to return to her job as a librarian and inspire new generation of readers. Ema has so much ahead of her, and watching such a smart, enthusiastic women deteriorate is painful. Let's help her get the treatment she deserves by donating to cover her medical expenses.

We greatly appreciate any contributions, advice, MS success stories, women support groups or helpful contacts that may help Ema continue fighting MS in Serbia. Thank you so much for your support!