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Catherine Cook raised £10,282 from 195 supporters
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Closed 26/03/2022
Weʼve raised £10,282 to Reboot Cath With HSCT
- Funded on Saturday, 26th March 2022
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Story
I’m Cath, a married mother of three from Warwick. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2000 and after 19 years of living within a spiral of declining health I’m asking for your help to get the treatment I hope will halt my MS.
I think of my MS as if my nerves are like a network of electrical wires with the protective covering worn away at random points. What is MS?
Every day can be different – but what is consistent is that I am in chronic pain, confused, dizzy, exhausted and suffering from weakness down my left side. Then there’s the symptoms that come and go like losing my balance and coordination, cognitive fatigue, urinary issues, numbness, pins & needles, problems with speech and swallowing, difficulty walking and the temporary loss of my sight.
My exhaustion feels like walking through treacle and I have to lie down for several hours every day. Even then, I spend my evenings on the sofa, exhausted, while my husband cooks, cleans and minds the children after he returns from work. Every time I leave the house I need to plan the outing around rests. As a mother it means often watching my children grow up rather than actively participating in their lives.
For years I’ve taken strong drugs but they only slow down my relapses, they don’t stop my spiral of declining health. Now I’m asking for your help to raise money for a course of HSCT – the only known medical treatment that has halted the progression of MS for the majority of patients who have gone through it. It’s not available as a standard treatment on the NHS; either you have to be part of a medical study or be one of the most extreme people suffering from MS.
HSCT is a chemotherapy-based treatment. Basically it removes your immune system and reboots it using stem cells harvested from your own blood or bone marrow.
It is offered at in Pueblo, Mexico and I’m asking for your help to fund my HSCT treatment at Clinica Ruiz, a carer for 24 hours day for six weeks, insurance and some post-treatment care.
It isn’t risk-free and chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation is a harsh treatment to endure. But almost 700 people have been treated in Mexico including BBC News correspondent Caroline Wyatt who talks about her treatment here Caroline Wyatt's HSCT story
If you’ve read this far – thank-you! I just want to finish by assuring you that I’m not going to sit passively while my life gets smaller and the walls close in on me as my health continues to decline. Not only me but my family too are fighting the ‘MonSter’ – my husband Bobby is running a sponsored half-marathon in March to and all the family is preparing a series of fund-raising events.
But any help you can provide will be incredible – I am profoundly grateful for any donation that will let me say one day “I used to have MS…,”
Updates
21
- 4 years ago
Catherine Cook
4 years agoHello Friends, I am just checking you got my other messages to say that I have postponed having my HSCT treatment until Covid 19 is well under control. Its literally the worst thing that could be about as I have my transplant and chemotherapy then fly back solo. The clinic has restarted HSCT, but I don't feel safe enough to stop shielding and leave the house. Hopefully next year I will be able to have it and I have put all the money you helped me to raise into a savings account. Once again, thank you for supporting me and stay safe x
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- 5 years ago
Catherine Cook
5 years agoWith tickets selling fast for my ball next month (eeeek!), I have just banked another £350 for a table of ten that sold last week. Its on Saturday 12th October at The Court House in Warwick and tickets can be bought here: Buytickets.at/rebootcathwithhsct
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- 5 years ago
Catherine Cook
5 years agoWe just got back from our holiday in beautiful Southwold, Suffolk and I see 3 tables of 10 people have been sold and paid for - hurrah! Thats £1033 (after Stripe costs). This has been transferred into my Reboot Cath bank account, so in line with trying to save the costs that this web site charges, I shall reduce the target amount to reflect it In other news - I HAVE THE DATE FOR HSCT - its May 4th next year. So I have a timescale to work with. Please spread the word
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Catherine Cook started crowdfunding
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Supporters
195
Breege and david
Nov 28, 2020
£50.00
Anonymous
Nov 9, 2020
£50.00
Kate Wilson
Oct 31, 2020
Hell how are you feeling. Let me know if I can do anything to help your family back in warwick. Kate Wilson
£75.00
Anonymous
Oct 13, 2020
Wishing you all the luck in the world Cath. Prayers for you and all your loved ones.ox
£100.00
Ann Hagendyk
Dec 17, 2019
Ann Hagendyk, payment for photos
£10.00
Andrea vaughan
Nov 13, 2019
Photo payment. Good luck with everything Cath. Love Andrea. X
£5.00
Laura Anderson
Nov 13, 2019
Ball Photo. Thanks Cath x
£5.00
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Catherine Cook
I am Cath, married with 3 young kids and I have MS. I am raising money so I can have radical chemo based treatment abroad - called HSCT. This should halt the progression of my MS and might even reverse the damage already done.