Funding for a Stem Cell Transplant in Mexico

Hi, my name is Colette and as many of you know, I am fighting against a severe autoimmune disease. I have treatment-resistant (refractory) Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disease that causes my body to create antibodies against my own muscle cells. The antibodies attack the space where the nerves tell the muscle cells to work (the neuromuscular junction.) Because there is damage in that space, my muscles can only be active for a very short amount of time and the more I use them, the weaker I get. Currently I can only walk a very short distance before getting weak and I have to use a walker if I want to go further. Due to this, my activities are very limited and I'm always in fear of overdoing it and ending up in the hospital with a flare.

I got diagnosed with this disease during my last semester of nursing school in 2013 and it has only gotten worse over time. It's been almost 12 years now and even though I've tried countless treatments, none have worked well enough that I can return to normal life. In those 12 years since diagnosis, I've also been diagnosed with four other autoimmune diseases. Once you have one autoimmune disease your chances of getting another one greatly increase. I'm scared that the longer I go without the proper treatment the more new autoimmune diseases I'll get.

There is a clinic in Mexico that does Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants (HSTC). This treatment works by first removing my stem cells, then using chemotherapy to destroy my current immune system, then infusing back my stem cells to create a brand new immune system that doesn't contain the harmful antibodies that cause my autoimmune diseases. This treatment isn't without risks however, I'm willing to take this risk because I'm so desperate to be free from these diseases. The reason I have to go to the clinic in Mexico to get this done is because this treatment isn't FDA approved yet for autoimmune diseases. There are research studies being done to approve it for MS but we're years out from it being approved for MG. There have been studies done to show it works for my disease, but no hospital is offering the treatment.

I want to work as an RN, I want to go back to school to further my nursing education. I want to help people again instead of being the one that gets help.

The cost to go to the clinic and get this done and stay for 28 days is $57,500. I put 60k so that it covers GoFundMe's fees and travel there and back. I have a tentative date for doing this July 1st, 2025. I'll probably be able to save about $6,000 of my own money for it but because I'm on disability I can't save more than that in a year since I don't make very much each month.

Please, no matter how small the donation, please consider giving to this fund. I will be forever grateful. I'm just asking is to have my life back. I'm 36, I shouldn't be viewing life from my bed, I should be living it instead.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask anything.

Thank you so much,

Colette

Mexico Clinic

Information about MG

Information about HSCT

Study to Support HSCT in Autoimmune Diseases

Second Study to Support HSCT in MG

PS. The money raised in this fundraiser is going into a separate bank account and won't be touched until needed to pay for the treatment.