8 years ago I had my first attack of multiple sclerosis. 2 years later after several further relapses, I was referred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neuro-surgery UCLH, where I was diagnosed.

Shortly after I started treatment with Beta Interferon injections 3 times per week, which made my symptoms worse and increased the fatigue I was experiencing. After 2 years of waking up, taking my children to school and coming home to sleep, until 2 pm when I would wake to collect them from school, bring them home and go back to bed, my doctors agreed for me to try a disease modifying drug Lemtrada.

I had high hopes for this medication and expected it to reduce the relapses i was experiencing by 70%. Sadly after the first round of treatment I began relapsing, but wasnt phased as I had another round of intra venous infusions planned in the second year. 4 months after my second dose I began relapsing again and an mri showed active lesions in my brain and spinal cord despite treatment.

Since then I have joined a facebook forum to find out about a new therapy being trialled for MS and currently being used for cancer patients aHSCT.

aHSCT is a chemotherapy treatment that involves high doses of chemo and a stem cell replacement. The idea behind it is to wipe the bodys’ memory of MS by deleting your immune system and starting again with the patients own stem cells.

The preliminary results are encouraging and a handful of hospitals in the UK are able to offer selected patients; meeting a very strict criteria the opportunity to have this treatment.

Most people will sadly not meet the criteria and have no choice but to pay privately for this treatment which is incredibly expensive. I have been very lucky and have been offered the treatment in an NHS Hospital but many will not be.

Bearing this in mind I would like to raise money for the hospital where I am having this done to use towards providing aHSCT to more patients like me and money for The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queen Square, who have looked after me so well in the last 5 & 1/2 years. Both hospitals are part of UCLH.)

My daughter and I will be having our hair cut to donate to THE LITTLE PRINCESS CHARITY, a charity that collects natural hair and makes wigs for children suffering from hair loss.

The money raised from donations will be donated to the hospital where I am going to be treated with aHSCT and The National Neurology Hospital, with the hope that more people can benefit from aHSCT with multiple sclerosis.

Please help me to raise as much as possible. There is no cure for MS, but aHSCT is the only treatment that can halt progression, giving us a chance for a better quality of life and a future we didn‘t think we had.

Please sponsor us and share our link!

Thank you very much.