SOUTH Launceston woman Anna Roney says being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just shy of her 30th birthday was like looking into a black hole.
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That was more than three years ago, and in that time she has watched her firstborn grow, had a second son and undergone different treatments aimed at slowing the progression of the disease.
Still Mrs Roney battles with vision problems, weakness in her arms, fatigue and unpleasant sensations including what feels like electric shocks down her spine and bugs crawling across her skin.
“The past few years have been really up and down, really hard,” she said.
“Because there’s no cure you’re basically told to go and deal with it and get on with your life.”
Desperate for a chance at a brighter future, Mrs Roney has applied for a haematopoietic stem cell transplant in Russia or Mexico.
She has been approved for both but will likely travel to Mexico because the wait time is shorter.
The treatment essentially wipes and reboots a person’s immune system by blasting the body with chemotherapy.
Then, using the patient’s own blood stem cells, the immune system is restored, hopefully without the memory of MS.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is unavailable in Australia and MS Research Australia has cautioned that further evidence of its effectiveness, safety and most appropriate use is required.
The treatment is not without risks and for months Mrs Roney will be house-bound as her body recovers.
But with a 70 to 90 per cent chance it will stop the MS from progressing, it’s a chance she is willing to take.
The treatment could cost up to $80,000 and Mrs Roney has appealed to the community for help.
“It’s massive really, it’s huge to get a chance for a normal future,” she said.
“Health is everything and when you get it taken away, it’s massive.”
To contribute to Mrs Roney’s treatment, visit chuffed.org/project/help-anna-halt-ms or facebook.com/myHSCTjourney.
