Margaret Dunlap, our daughter, sister, and friend has been living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for 13 years now. Margaret is in need of medical intervention to halt the progression of this terrible disease and a stem cell transplant holds the most promise.
Margaret is the mother of four wonderful children, Cedrik (age 16), Jonas (age 10), Iszyk (age 8), and Zoe (age 3). Many of her years since diagnosis have been manageable and you would have no idea she has MS just by looking at her or talking with her. Though there was progression of her MS, her relapses never severely affected her ability to work and take care of her family. In August of 2013, this all changed.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, the protective coating that surrounds a person’s nerves. The brain cannot effectively convey “commands” to other parts of the body, resulting in an array of difficulties. It is extremely unpredictable, as there is no way to know which part of the nervous system could be affected next. In the case of RRMS, after a “relapse” occurs the person eventually goes back into “remission” for an unknown period of time during which they may feel better, but many times do not regain everything that was compromised during the relapse. In August 2013, Margaret suffered a major relapse (a brain lesion interfering with the communication between her eyes and her brain) that left her unable to work, drive, use computers or smart phones. Subsequent relapses caused double vision, hypersensitivities to sounds, and difficulties controlling the right side of her body. Her MRIs have shown a significant amount of progression of her MS. While she has had some recovery from these relapses, she has had to make adjustments and accept her “new normal.”
After much research, Margaret learned about a research study spearheaded by Dr. Richard Burt from Northwestern University in Chicago. It is a nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) where a patient’s immune system is first tamped down using low-dose chemotherapy followed by an infusion of the patients’ own stem cells to reboot their immune systems. “Maintenance” drugs are no longer necessary since the immune system has now been taught to not attack itself anymore and some patients even experience a reversal of their disability levels.
In November 2015, Margaret traveled to Chicago for the much-awaited evaluation with Dr. Burt and learned that she is a good candidate for the trial! It will require a 5-year commitment to travel periodically from her home in Florida to Chicago for treatment and checkups. Margaret will need to cover the cost of travel (flights, hotel stays, food) as well as any medical expenses (deductibles, co-pays) not covered by insurance. This is a challenge she cannot face alone.
To help with the financial burden of Margaret’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Southeast Stem Cell Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please, consider a contribution.
For credit card contributions, please click the yellow Donate Now button.
This year, instead of raising funds for the National MS Society (as we typically do), we are focusing our fundraising efforts to help Margaret with the expenses related to this amazing stem cell transplant opportunity. Thank you so much for your support – it means more to us than you could ever imagine.
With sincere gratitude,
The Family and Friends of Margaret Dunlap
