John was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS on the 8th Dec 2011. He was 28. Our world was turned upside down. Quite rapidly John went downhill, he had to leave his full time job and in Feb 2013 I became his carer as well as his wife.

To see the hardworking active person that he once was and the speed that he started declining was horrible.

Fast forward to the present day and a few relapses thrown into the mix, this is where we are now. John is pretty much house bound and can’t walk unaided, he uses a mobility aid around the house and his wheelchair when he does need to go out. The progression in himself is scary especially his mobility.

Put yourself in a situation where your loved one can no longer lead a normal life and do the things we take for granted. Working, being active and independent, to virtually becoming housebound, some days not even being able to tie your own shoe laces. Being unable to kick a ball in the park/garden with your children. To go and put the rubbish out, only to fall onto the patio, spasms taking over control of your body to the point you just have to allow it to happen.

To having a different neurologist consultant pretty much every year, you get to know one and BOOM we’ve gone back to the beginning and need to explain everything, getting to know them and them us.

Then being told that your illness is progressing and that the medication you take is being removed as it is no longer working. My major concern is that if they take John off the TECAFIDIRA like the consultant wants to, will it bring a massive relapse to the point where his body could not repair or fight the damage?

We are pushed into a corner and being told that there is nothing that they can do....but there is something that can be done. There is a treatment that can rebuild Johns immune system and stop the progression, where he could lead an active life more so than now.

I’m not one to put our lives out there in public and even my closest friends will tell you I do not like to ask for help. I’m the type of person to help anyone but never ask for it, but I am now asking people if they could please please share our story, donate if you would like to (no pressure but would mean a awful lot) just anything to help us raise these funds to get John better!!

I can’t and won’t allow this awful body crippling disease to take any more of my husband.

Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is an intense chemotherapy treatment for MS. It aims to stop the damage MS causes by wiping out and then regrowing your immune system, using your own stem cells.

It has proven high success rates (70%~90%) and this is now the only hope we have for John. To stop the progression of this cruel life destroying illness, and give our children their Daddy back.

We need to raise £50,000 this will cover the treatment, accommodation and flights for John and his friend to go to Mexico for John to get this life changing treatment.

If we are lucky enough to raise more than needed we will be giving any surplus to a charity that has newly started up, A.I.M.S (autoimmune and multiple sclerosis). They aim to provide help and support for people who have no other option but to look into HSCT and will help fund partial costs of peoples treatment. I’m sure you’ll agree this is a worthwhile charity! There will be lots of fundraising events happening so we can hopefully reach this goal!

If people could please share our story to help spread awareness and if you could donate a few pennies we would be extremely grateful.

Thank you for all your continued support. #teamlees #johnsmissionforhsct