In 2013 a close friend was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 26. This crippling disease can affect people in many ways and is a horrible burden to live with.
Thankfully advances within HSCT has allowed for this treatment to be available for MS patients and has begun producing some amazing results.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) involves removing the harmful immune cells that attack the brain and spinal cord in MS, and then uses a person’s own stem cells to effectively re-grow the immune system. The aim is that re-booting the immune system in this way will prevent further damage in the brain and spinal cord.
After a two year process she has now been accepted for this treatment in Russia, this is due to start June 2017.
Unfortunately the treatment is not cheap, so in order to help raise money I am going to be Running the Tough Mudder Challenge on May 6th, 2017.
It is a 12 mile run with 20+ obstacles varying from ice lake swims to electric wire runs.