Hello,

My name is Alina Lowenberger and I am reaching out to the masses to support my dear friend, Angela Lowes (née Fornwald), to raise funds for her upcoming Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in Mexico. Angela is a kind soul and is always taking care of others. As friends and family, we are hopeful this treatment will be life changing for her and any support is much appreciated. Please take the time to read her story and consider making a donation:

"Never did I think I would be here. Nobody ever thinks their life would take a turn like this.

Over a few summers I suffered with brutal vertigo. I saw family doctors a few times, which didn’t help much. I was told to rest and get more sleep. Fast forward to December 2023 when I began to lose feeling in my feet. I attributed it to being very busy at work and the chaos of the Christmas season. I was trying to rest but beginning in January of 2024 the numbness was slowly moving up into my legs. I started to lose feeling in my thighs, and I was starting to fall while walking our dog. I blamed the snow and poor winter boots. Then one evening in January, I fell down our very steep staircase at our townhouse. At this point I knew something wasn’t right. My family doctor sent me for an MRI, they had a feeling it might be Multiple Sclerosis. I was terrified.

April 2024 I was diagnosed with MS. My husband and I got married in May 2024. It was a crazy whirlwind all happening at once.

By August we moved into our new house, a bungalow style, because it has way less stairs. A consideration I never imagined needing to make.

Quickly after my diagnosis my medical team wanted me to start on a drug called Ocrevus to help slow down the progression of my MS. This drug entails me undergoing an infusion every 6 months; I have had 3 so far. While I’ve had no new lesions since starting the drug, it comes with a lot of negative side effects because it is suppressing my immune system.

Although the numbness in legs is no longer constant, it comes back when I get stressed or don’t get enough sleep. Things like muscle spasms, challenges in the bathroom, stumbling, drop foot, brain fog, lower back pain and speech problems are just a few of the symptoms of MS I still have. It’s made me think about my future as a cook/baker. It has impacted my passion as I love to work with my hands and spend hours on my feet!

A fellow MS warrior reached out to me and asked me if I’ve seen the Living Proof Documentary. If you haven’t seen/heard of it I would seriously recommend watching it on YouTube. It really opened my eyes to alternative MS treatments that are more effective than Ocrevus infusions. Ocrevus is unfortunately not a long term solution for MS.

I started deep diving into research and found a Stem Cell Treatment called HSCT - Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. This is a non-radiation chemotherapy medical treatment, demonstrated to be effective to halt progression in neurological autoimmune diseases. The aim is to “reboot” the immune system, to stop it from attacking its own body. This is an innovative procedure that can stop MS in its tracks. Unfortunately, it is very expensive and not covered by provincial healthcare. With this, my husband and I are reaching out for financial assistance in helping me regain control of my life.

This is a big decision and other HSCT testimonials gives me confidence that it will help me get my life back, thank you everyone for your support. It means the world to us!!"