Leeds dad's brave battle for treatment

A Leeds father is undergoing pioneering treatment in Mexico in a bid to halt his MS from progressing.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Aug 2016, 02:00 BST

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FAMILY: Tim Thomson pictured at home in Pudsey with his wife Karen and children Phoebe and Jordan.FAMILY: Tim Thomson pictured at home in Pudsey with his wife Karen and children Phoebe and Jordan.
FAMILY: Tim Thomson pictured at home in Pudsey with his wife Karen and children Phoebe and Jordan.

Tim Thomson fears the condition will stop him from walking his daughter down the aisle after seeing his mobility get much worse over the last 18 months.

And now the dad and granddad from Pudsey is writing a blog to chart his progress from a Mexican hospital.

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In some of his latest posts Tim reveals how he has been “rigged up” to a machine that harvests stem cells as part of a three-hour procedure.

He described it as “a very comfortable experience”.

The blog on Facebook added: “Don’t feel anything really considering your blood is being cycled out of your body and back in again.”

He decided to undergo the procedure after reading a story in the Yorkshire Evening Post about Kate Dawson, from Wakefield, who had it earlier this year.

Tim and his wife Karen were fundraising to cover the cost – £45,000 in Mexico and another £15,000 for continuing care back in the UK.

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Tim, 52, was diagnosed with MS in 2006 after suddenly losing all movement down one side of his body. Tests showed it was the neurological condition.

Initially he suffered attacks, but recovered to some extent between relapses. However over time, it became the progressive form of the disease which means symptoms continue to worsen.

“Every day is seriously challenging, ” he said in an earlier interview with the YEP.

Follow Tim’s story via timsmexicanhsctadventure on Facebook and donate via www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/timsmexicanhsctadventure.

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PIONEERING TREATMENT

The treatment involves creating a new immune system from the patient’s own stem cells. Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) sees stem cells being harvested from bone marrow. Chemotherapy then destroys the patient’s current immune system and the stem cells are reintroduced, rebooting the immune system. In some patients it has halted the disease and others have seen an improvement - research in Sheffield reported “remarkable results” for some patients. Treatment continues with infusions back in the UK which Tim will undergo in Manchester. He will have to pay £1,000 per treatment for these.

Related topics:LeedsMexicoSportPudsey