In March 2015 my life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I had been very active throughout the months prior to my diagnosis and as usual, I assumed I had hurt myself lifting weights. By March, the entire left side of my back and torso had become numb. In search of answers, I went to the ER and left with nothing. Thinking I had pinched a nerve or pulled a muscle, I called my general practitioner who ordered an MRI and suggested I go see a neurologist as soon as possible. Two days later I was sitting in the neurologist’s office and she urged me to go to the ER again to be admitted for a week of testing. When I finally got answers and received my diagnosis, I thought to myself, “There was no way I will be able to deal with MS. Who will be around to care for my family? Who will have the burden to care for me?”

After months of researching the disease, its progression, and possible treatments, I came across StemGenex, a medical center that is pioneering stem cell treatments for MS in the United States. I am hopeful that this stem cell therapy, where they extract my own stem cells to generate new, healthy cells to transplant into my body, will reverse much of what MS has taken from me. This stem cell treatment is my best hope for a long, healthy life unencumbered by the devastating effects of MS.