Hope for My Future: Help Fund My Fight Against MS

Hope for My Future: Help Fund My Fight Against MS – July 2025

This feels like the hardest thing I’ve had to write in a long time, mainly because asking for money, especially for myself, feels so very uncomfortable. I don’t feel worthy at all of asking, but on the other hand, I’ve reached the point where I just can’t keep living like this anymore. I know that HSCT (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) abroad for the second time is my only option left to halt the progression of Multiple Sclerosis.

Why I’m Asking for Your Help

I’m 36 and have now been officially diagnosed with MS for 12 years, symptoms first began when I was in my late teens but it was misdiagnosed for a number of years. In 2018, I underwent my first HSCT after failing all other treatment options for MS. Although it was a gruelling procedure, I had really good results and after months of physio, I was able to walk unaided, successfully halting the progression of MS.

However, in 2021, I developed another autoimmune condition that retriggered MS, and in 2023, a rare neurological reaction post major surgery further exacerbated the progression. I’ve agonised over how to explain how MS affects my life because, on one hand, I could give you the grim details of how tough it has been, and is, on a daily basis, but on the other hand, I’m naturally a positive, outgoing and hilarious (at times, even if I say so myself) person. However, MS affects everything – my hands, legs, bladder, bowel, balance, digestion, pain, spasticity, memory issues, and debilitating fatigue. And that’s keeping it exceptionally brief.

I think sometimes the hardest part about this journey and reflecting upon it, is just how much MS has taken away from me. Most of all my role as a Specialist Nurse (which I absolutely loved). Losing that part of me has been incredibly hard, as it was my vocation and something that I had aspired to do since a child. It also takes away the freedom to do the simplest of things, like leaving the house with ease. It’s funny how much you take for granted until it becomes so much harder to do.

I’m exhausted by it all (if I’m truly honest) and wonder how I can continue living like this. I’m no longer eligible for treatment on the NHS for a number of reasons, and to make matters worse, I’ve lost my entire NHS team due to funding cuts in my area. I’ve been told to find a new team in another area, which has been an incredibly tiresome process and one that I still haven't sorted after 12 months. As a result, I’m now paying for my own physiotherapy just to ensure I don’t lose any more mobility.

The above might sound ‘needy’, and I hate that. But I want you to understand that this is not at all who I am. I’m Philippa – with the best husband, a beautiful family, and the most gorgeous nieces and nephews (with another one on the way), whom I want to be able to enjoy and visit. I’m surrounded by the best friends and love others deeply. I love to travel, sing in an amazing choir, ski, ride, swim… I love sport, but it’s now exceptionally difficult to do any of these things. This is Philippa – with and without MS. But MS makes it so much harder to remember who I am.

After exhausting options within the UK and knowing that my first HSCT was successful, I’ve made the really difficult decision to travel abroad again for treatment, with a date set for July 2025. My family and I paid for the first treatment, but it’s just not possible this time. The financial burden of being disabled is immense, and I feel incredible guilt all the time for the money spent on me – wheelchairs, ramps, house adaptations, stairlifts… If I told you how much we’ve spent on adaptations, it would be eye-watering. These things are often assumed to be provided, but they’re not.

The money I’m asking for will cover the cost of the treatment (£50,000) and, more importantly, the rehabilitation when I return. This second HSCT will be even stronger and more gruelling than the first one, and due to the fact that I am now much weaker, it will ensure I have the best possible outcome.

There is no pressure to donate. If you’ve even read this far, I am so grateful for your time and love. If you could share this with anyone who might be able to help, I am sending you the biggest virtual hug. If you would like any further information, then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Anyway, in true Philippa fashion, I’ve waffled on long enough now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I send you all the love in the world and the biggest hug.

Philippa xxx

Why HSCT?

In MS, the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective layer around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, called myelin. HSCT (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) is a procedure that aims to reset the faulty immune system to stop this happening. It does this by fully wiping out your immune system using high doses of chemotherapy and then regrowing it using your stem cells. This procedure aims to halt the progression of the disease, giving me a better quality of life for longer.