The family of a Bannockburn mum are raising funds to send her for revolutionary stem cell treatment in a bid to halt the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Jodie McQuillian hopes to fly off to Mexico for the ground breaking treatment after having battled with MS for over a decade.
MS is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord.
The 32-year-old, who grew up in Bannockburn, and now lives in Cambus, hopes to raise enough cash to fund the treatment and her family have turned to generous friends, family and villagers for help.
The mum-of-one’s sister, Tricia Moran, said: “Jodie’s first symptoms were over 10 years ago, and amongst a few other symptoms she developed a sudden problem with her eyesight. As the years have gone on, she has trialled different treatments and continued to experience relapses that have caused issues with her mobility, muscles, balance, strength, energy levels as well as vision.”
Jodie was officially diagnosed around six years ago and has been trying to manage her symptoms whilst caring for her five-year-old son Ethan.
Tricia added: “On a day-to-day basis Jodie will present a brave and stoic front, often prioritising what is essential, especially on a bad day, to manage her energy levels. She is struggling to walk and needs help with basic tasks such as shopping, and taking her child to school.
“Needing to prioritise tasks such as making meals and taking care of Ethan means she often has to forgo more enjoyable things such as taking him to the park.”
She continued: “Jodie has researched this treatment for some time, and this year, due to experiencing another relapse, she has decided that this is something she needs to try before she deteriorates further. The treatment might stop her MS progressing, but it might not help her regain what she has already lost so as a family we want her to get it as soon as possible.
“She will be travelling to Mexico for the treatment and we are hopeful she will be going out by the end of the summer.”
Jodie’s siblings – Tricia, Scott, Shaun, Dale and Eilidh – have set out to try and raise £50,000 to fund the life-changing treatment.
Setting up a Go Fund Me page on Jodie’s behalf, they said: ‘ Those closest to Jodie have spent many years even before her diagnosis watching and feeling helpless as she became unwell and fought to recover.
‘It has been heartbreaking to watch our gorgeous, energetic, fun and ambitious sister fight with every bit of her heart and soul against this disease. After every relapse she fights to regain her strength and confidence which is often a long, exhausting process. Heartbreakingly, despite her determination to rehab Jodie will never regain her independence and function to her previous level. This is the stark reality of living with MS.’
They added: ‘As a family we have started to look at other treatments that could help. Jodie was very young when she was diagnosed with MS and we simply do not want to wait and see how this continues to progress for her as we have already watched her struggle and lose too much.
‘Jodie has tried all available treatment options that the NHS here in Scotland can currently offer. In our research we have found a treatment called HSCT (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) this is limited in availability, and not offered in Scotland. We have found reputable clinics that offer this in Russia or Mexico.
‘HSCT is not a quick or easy treatment option. 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 stem cells.
‘It is not a guaranteed treatment, and it is not a cure, but it has been shown to halt the progression of MS symptoms in the majority of people who have tried it.
‘We want to try and raise money for Jodie as soon as we can to give her the chance of a better way of living, an opportunity that could allow her to do everything she wants to as a mum, and more importantly give her a chance that in the future her life is not going to be determined by relapses, treatments and rehabilitation programmes.
‘We have been aware of this treatment for a few years now but Jodie has not wished to consider it due to the impact of the treatment, the required time away from Ethan and significant cost. However, the past year has been difficult, with Jodie struggling with two severe relapses, therefore we are very keen for Jodie to get the treatment as soon as possible as the deterioration of MS this may not always be an option.
‘So we ask you to help us with our goal. We appreciate that this is a huge target to raise and we are grateful for any donation big or small. If you can help us raise awareness or suggest ways we could fundraise we would also appreciate this.’
At the time of print, more than £21,000 had been raised towards to overall target.
To donate, go to: https://bit.ly/3uOwotQ
