Kass’ Quest for a Cure: Beating NMO with a Stem Cell Transplant
Kassandra Rockhold was diagnosed with MS over 30 years ago, a time when MS was difficult to diagnose. Her treatment and care followed that of many MS sufferers. None of the prescribed MS medications worked and her disease continued to progress. Last summer was a difficult one for Kass. Her pain became severe. After years of suffering in near silence, Kass admitted her pain to her daughters who worked hard to find treatment options.
Kass was recently accepted into a Clinical Trial for hematopoiectic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in Chicago at Northwestern University. Interestingly, while pursuing this treatment and ability to participate in the clinical trial, Kass discovered that she has NMO (Neuromyeletis Optica), not MS. NMO is a scary disease. Attacks in NMO are devastating, causing loss of vision in one or both eyes, paralysis of a limb or limbs (complete paralysis), loss of bladder function, and possible intubation. There are no FDA approved medications on the market to treat NMO.
Guestbook
August 6, 2015
The crew at the CWHBA office in Yakima is sending you lots of prayers and we know you will beat this...God is GREAT!!!
Chascidi White
July 29, 2015
You know that I want more than anything for you to get this transplant, and now it's finally happening! I'm so happy for you! I love you more than anything, and this is the best news I've heard in a long time!
Leslie
July 27, 2015
Nothing worth having is ever easy...but we all know you can do this! You are paving a pathway to hope. You are a trailblazer mom! Because of your courage to participate in this clinical trial, you are helping to bring a cure to thousands of others who are suffering from this horrible disease. NMO (Devic's Disease)...you are going down!!!
Mikal
