Brandy's Journey to HSCT
Donation protected
Hi my name is Brandy and I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 31 years old. My husband and I had been going to a fertility doctor trying to conceive. One of my hormone levels was off so my doctor sent me to get an MRI of my brain. That’s when it was discovered that I have lesions on my brain. After months of testing, blood work, a spinal tap, steroids, and doctor’s appointments, I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. Here I was trying to have a baby and got a completely different story to my life. I had no symptoms at the time, so I think of it as the child I wanted so badly saved me. Multiple Sclerosis occurs when the brain and spinal cord are under attack. Specifically, the immune system attacks myelin — the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers — as well as the nerve fibers themselves. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. MS is a leading cause of disability in young adults. I am unable to work due to debilitating fatigue. I desperately want to be able to go back to work and start a family. I want to be able to look forward to the future with hope. I don’t want to be a burden to my family. I want to LIVE.
There is no cure for MS, only medications that attempt to slow the progression of the disease and treat some of the symptoms. I have tried many different medications to slow the progression of MS, but they come with terrible side effects and none of them have stopped the disease from progressing. MS is a daily struggle. I suffer from severe fatigue, numbness, tingling, vertigo, anxiety, depression, walking (gait) difficulties, memory loss, bladder/bowel problems, chronic pain, spasticity, vision problems, heat intolerance, speech problems, migraines, and insomnia. While my current symptoms are a struggle, the reality is my symptoms could get much worse as MS continues to progress.
When I realized the MS medications were not stopping the disease progression, I began a desperate search to try to get my life back. That’s when I discovered that there are thousands of people around the world who have successfully stopped their MS progression using a procedure called hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). This treatment uses high doses of chemotherapy to wipe out the immune system, and then the patient’s own naïve bone marrow stem cells are transplanted back in the body to help rebuild an immune system with no memory of MS. HSCT has been shown in clinical trials to be highly effective at stopping MS progression. Clinical trials have shown that MS sufferers have the highest chance of success if they receive HSCT early in the disease course before the accumulation of irreversible disability. I want to get my life back before it’s too late!
Sadly, HSCT is not covered by insurance, so I must seek treatment abroad. The cost of HSCT is approximately $55,000. I am seeking donations to offset the expense of treatment. Any donation amount would be most gratefully and humbly appreciated. No amount is too small!
Matthew 19:26 With God ALL Things Are Possible
There is no cure for MS, only medications that attempt to slow the progression of the disease and treat some of the symptoms. I have tried many different medications to slow the progression of MS, but they come with terrible side effects and none of them have stopped the disease from progressing. MS is a daily struggle. I suffer from severe fatigue, numbness, tingling, vertigo, anxiety, depression, walking (gait) difficulties, memory loss, bladder/bowel problems, chronic pain, spasticity, vision problems, heat intolerance, speech problems, migraines, and insomnia. While my current symptoms are a struggle, the reality is my symptoms could get much worse as MS continues to progress.
When I realized the MS medications were not stopping the disease progression, I began a desperate search to try to get my life back. That’s when I discovered that there are thousands of people around the world who have successfully stopped their MS progression using a procedure called hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). This treatment uses high doses of chemotherapy to wipe out the immune system, and then the patient’s own naïve bone marrow stem cells are transplanted back in the body to help rebuild an immune system with no memory of MS. HSCT has been shown in clinical trials to be highly effective at stopping MS progression. Clinical trials have shown that MS sufferers have the highest chance of success if they receive HSCT early in the disease course before the accumulation of irreversible disability. I want to get my life back before it’s too late!
Sadly, HSCT is not covered by insurance, so I must seek treatment abroad. The cost of HSCT is approximately $55,000. I am seeking donations to offset the expense of treatment. Any donation amount would be most gratefully and humbly appreciated. No amount is too small!
Matthew 19:26 With God ALL Things Are Possible
Organizer
Brandy Askew
Organizer
Lenow, TN
