Bristol mum with MS fundraising for 'life-changing' treatment

Samantha Brown, with her son Harry, is raising money to fund treatment for her MS

A young mum with multiple sclerosis (MS) is attempting to crowd fund £32,000 for what she hopes will be life-changing medical treatment.

Samantha Brown from Bristol was diagnosed with MS in May 2021 and says her condition is "rapidly evolving".

Her own mother suffered with MS and passed away aged 62 in December 2022.

"I didn't have a very nice childhood because of my mum's disability," said Ms Brown, who has a four-year-old son called Harry.

"He's too young to understand at the moment. My biggest fear is for the future, I don't know what tomorrow will bring," she said.

Ms Brown said she watched her mother suffer from the disease throughout her childhood

MS is a neurological condition caused by the immune system attacking the brain and nerves.

Its symptoms include reduced mobility, cognitive function and loss of vision. It is a lifelong condition but treatment can help manage it.

Ms Brown says she wakes up with double vision on a daily basis and struggles with walking long distances and grasping objects.

She is fundraising to undergo a form of intensive chemotherapy called Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) after not being accepted for the treatment on the NHS, due to eligibility requirements.

With her illness worsening, she feels that time is against her and she now plans to have the HSCT treatment at a specialist clinic in Mexico.

Ms Brown said she was unable to look after her son when she was diagnosed

Ms Brown hopes that the fundraiser will pay for her treatment and flights. So far, she has raised more than £21,000 of the £53,000 she needs.

"I've had huge support, both locally and from people abroad, in the US and Australia.

"There was one person, who I had never even spoken to before, but he was also fundraising for the same treatment.

"He reached his target and had some money leftover and the next thing I know he had donated £1,000," she added.

HSCT treatment is very limited on the NHS due to ongoing research and strict eligibility criteria.

The MS Society is backing UK research into the treatment, which is currently under way.

But Dr Sarah Rawlings, its executive director of research and external affairs, said: "HSCT can be life-changing and some people with MS see their symptoms stabilise or even improve after receiving it.

"We currently don't know enough about the benefits or safety of HSCT compared to other disease modifying therapies that are also highly effective but, like HSCT, can come with serious side-effects."