Doctors were baffled for more than three years before diagnosing Amanda Wilson with multiple sclerosis.
It began with a tingling in her arms and feet when she held her daughter Elodie, now three, for the first time.
“For seven months, my chest down to my feet was either numb, painful or had pins and needles,” Ms Wilson recalls. “I still have blinding headaches and migraines daily that most painkillers can’t dull.”
Even with sleeping tablets, Ms Wilson, 33, manages just three-to-four hours of broken sleep a night. But she says with her diagnosis came relief – her symptoms had a name and there was a cause she could start to fight for.
The South Morang resident is aiming to raise more than $90,000 so she can receive specialised stem cell treatment in Russia.
New research has found that patients with early-stage MS who had their own stem cells transplanted back into their bodies benefited, with the cells appearing to reverse the neurological dysfunction by causing immune systems to “reset”.
But Ms Wilson would have to wait for two other forms of MS treatment to fail before she would qualify for the treatment in Australia.
She fears her condition will have worsened if she waits until then. “I want to act fast to preserve my health while I can still walk; I want to pursue my career in human resources and care and play with my young daughter.”
Ms Wilson took part in the annual MS walk and fun run at Albert Park on Sunday, hoping to help raise more than $1000 towards her treatment.
She will also host a series of fund-raisers, including a trivia night at La Trobe University in September and a comedy night.
A children’s disco will be held at the Creeds Farm Living and Learning Centre in Epping on July 12.
