An MS sufferer with a black hole in his brain says he is "confident" aggressive stem cell treatment he is going through in Mexico will rid his body of the condition.
Scott McPhillimy is now halfway through Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) so he can be fit enough to look after his wife Suzanne who was left disabled after a near-fatal brain bleed.
The devoted East Kilbride husband has spent their £45,000 life savings on the specialist treatment to stop his childhood sweetheart from going into care if his illness progresses.
Scott, 34, had to travel overseas for the month-long treatment programme at the Clinica Ruiz in Puebla as its not available in Scotland despite being recommended for approval.
After completing four brutal rounds of chemotherapy to remove his old immune system, the former cop told Lanarkshire Live he is hopeful that his immune system will reboot with no memory of MS.
"I am now over halfway through HSCT treatment here in Mexico," he told us.
"I have received four doses of chemotherapy to remove my old immune system, had my stem cells harvested and then reintroduced.
"I will now enter a period of neutropenia where I will have a dangerously low immune response while my immune system reboots.
"The goal is that my immune system reboots with no memory of MS.
"I guess I won't know for a while if it has worked as a full recovery from the proceedure can take up to 12 months, but in making the decision to pursue this HSCT I knew this was a long term decision for Suzanne and I.
"I am confident that HSCT is the most effective treatment for MS currently available."
Scott arrived in Mexico at the start of September and scans revealed lesions on his spine along with a hole in his brain.
He is unsure how long they have been in his body since being diagnosed at 26 but hopes his treatment will stop them progressing.
The aim of the treatment is to ‘reset’ the immune system to stop it attacking the central nervous system and halt any future damage.
Scott suffered nausea and dizziness and lost his hair from the aggressive chemo which he said was "really tough" on his body.
He also experienced excrutiating bone pain as a result of twice daily injections to stimulate the stem cells from his bone marrow before they were harvested.
But after bravely battling through the pain he admits the hardest thing was being so far away from home, and his beloved wife Suzanne.
"It is tough on all the patients here who are missing loved ones", Scott added. "All being well, I will arrive back in the UK on September 25.
"I can't wait to see Suzanne and give her a hug.
"This is the longest we have been apart in our relationship. Even when she was in hospital for nine months during COVID I was granted access on compassionate grounds."
Scott was supported by Suzanne after his MS diagnosis seven years ago but during lockdown, she collapsed in the middle of a work video call after suffering the near-fatal aneurysm.
The 34-year-old senior administrator was on a Teams call with her colleagues on November 23, 2020, when she collapsed and fell off the bed mid conversation.
She was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow where Scott was told the tragic news that she’d had a catastrophic bleed on the brain and they were unsure if anything could be done.
Suzanne was in a coma for three months and underwent several brain surgeries before being allowed home last August after Scott fought for a care package which sees two carers coming in four times a day.
Scott continued: "Suzanne is being well looked at home after by her family. Her long term outlook is still unclear due to the severity of the brain bleed she experienced. But the fact she is alive, conscious, and home is a miracle."
Scott's sister Robyn has set up a JustGiving page to recoup some of the savings used for Scott's treatment so he can make further adaptations to his home for Suzanne’s complex needs.
The fundraising pot is currently sitting at over £4500.
Thanking the local community for their support, Scott said: "I have been totally overwhelmed by the support I have received from friends, family, and our local community.
"I know everyone is facing really tough choices at home with the cost of living crisis. Any support we do get will be used to help make our home more accessible for Suzanne's needs."
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