A MOTHER from Workington has said that her journey to cure Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been 'nothing short of a miracle' nine months on from when she was first diagnosed with the life-limiting disease.
Brogan Johnston, 26, was told she had the life affecting disease, early last year after going to the doctors for a check-up when she started experiencing blurred vision in her eye.
However, after must research with her husband Scott and talking to people who also have the condition Brogan was able to find out about a one of a kind HSCT treatment to halt the disease in its tracks.
The 28-day intense chemotherapy treatment aims to stop the damage that MS causes by completely wiping out and regrowing my immune system using stem cells from Brogan’s bone marrow.
Because Brogan did not qualify for the treatment in the UK she had decided to try and raise funds to go and have the much-needed care in Mexico on August 30 last year.
She managed to raise more than £50,000 with a Just Giving page as well as a number of fundraising activities including a walk by daughter Adalyn and charity nights.
Now, five months on from her treatment Brogan has shared an update on how her journey and thanked those who have helped her on her journey.
Brogan said: "I went for my first MRI post treatment on the weekend and received my results today, the results were that there were no change (no more lesions) but also that some of my existing lesions had in fact shrunk."
"Just to put it into context, this is my 5th MRI and the only one that has been stable in 10 months.
"I was rapidly developing lesions all the time (even within a 2 week timeframe of 1 MRI to another), so to have no extra ones and them starting to shrink is an amazing sign that the treatment has worked."
Brogan said: "A huge thank you to everyone for supporting my goal of HSCT because I wouldn’t have been able to have the treatment as soon as I have without it, this includes the medical professionals that have been my biggest fan the whole time, along side every single person that donated, shared or spoke about my fundraising.
"To say I was diagnosed only 9 months ago makes it nothing short of a miracle in my eyes."
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