From The Monmouthshire Beacon – June 29th 2018
A PENALLT man will travel to Mexico next month for pioneering treatment for his Mulitiple Sclerosis.
Roger Forbes, 47, will undergo Hematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment: an extreme procedure which has an 80 per cent chance of halting the progress of his MS.
Roger has lived with the condition since being diagnosed in December 1994, but after being recommended the treatment by a private consultant will fly out to Clínica Ruiz in July.
The treatment starts on 23rd July and will take approximately 28 days, and full recovery will take anything from two months to two years.
The treatment, which costs approximately £50,000, involves harvesting stem cells from patients and giving them doses of chemotherapy, then replacing the stem cells in the patient’s body.
“They are leaders in the treatment,” Roger says. “They have done hundreds of procedures and are getting very good.
“The treatment is quite extreme, a small dose of chemo to mobilise my stem cells so a few million can be harvested, followed by a large dose of chemo to kill off my immune system, before having my stem cells replaced to reboot my system – hopefully without MS.”
In addition to halting the progression of Roger’s MS, it is also hoped that the treatment will help walking.
Roger has a good support network, and goes once a week to the West of England MS Therapy Centre in Bristol.
His treatment also has the support of his family and friends, who have funded the treatment.
His wife, two brothers and sister in law are travelling out to Mexico to support him, and acting as carers while he recovers.
While he has chosen not to establish a fundraising page, Roger would be enthusiastic to help anyone suffering from MS who may be considering the treatment. He has created a Facebook page which he is updating as he goes through the treatment.
To follow his journey, visit www.facebook.com/groups/436341450120201/