10. Healthcare Demystified - MS Week Special - HSCT Warriors - Mark Gilligan

Development continues with progressive forms of MS and new solutions have and more undoubtedly will appear in time but with a progressive illness... time is truly precious!!!
In this talk almost 6 years post Stephen's transplant he reflects with fellow entertainment Industry producer and good friend Mark Gilligan who by now is 3 years post his transplant both STILL showing remarkable results.

Mark had long before also suffered the massive shock that is an MS diagnosis.
He battled with RRMS (Relapsing Remitting MS) since 2003 and after 14 years the disease transitioned to 'Secondary Progressive '(SPMS) and he subsequently lost the entire left hand side of his body. That is the nature of the illness!
A musician by trade it meant catastrophically the end of being able to play guitar, saxophone, tin whistle, and the rest for this renowned multi instrumentalist.
The shock of this downward spiral, his own separate research and lack of any alternatives brought him in contact with HSCT.
Fate had put these two Irish diaspora figures together and by 2016 Stephen had with other Irish MSers found their way to the top of the Pirogov waiting list. It was 3 years when he joined but time passed the list moved and the first Irish patient would go for HSCT in Moscow in June that year.
Later as more people appeared usually via their fundraising efforts we became known to eachother. So at the end of 2016 I created a Facebook Group called 'Irish HSCT' consisting of 9 pioneering Irish patients.
We proceeded to go one by one to the Pirogov Hospital in Moscow for a transplant with the world famous Dr. Fedorenko!
Each member of the group were able to help the next one along and share their experience of what was involved in the process.
It is a journey that moves through fundraising to tips for the actual process inside the hospital.
Mark brought his amazing creativity to his campaign inspired by 2 now sadly passed legends of Irish music, known all over the world Shay Healy and Ronnie Drew no less wrote a song called "The Lodger Inside of Me!"

In this week of focus on all things MS, that affects over 2 million people worldwide so profoundly, I felt this chat could offer some hope and maybe even guidance from 2 proven 'HSCT Warriors'.
This treatment is not for everyone, it has a very low mortality rate but it exists...
It is tough on the body, involves a lot of chemotherapy and in the case of Moscow a 30 day stay.
As mentioned in the Talk 'The damage Done is still the damage done' but for these two music men they got back enough to pronounce the treatment as life changing in the most positive way!

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