Submission to Select Health Committee to make aHSCT available in New Zealand
This morning, 9th November 2022, MSNZs President, Neil Woodhams and petition submitter, Joan Perry made an oral presentation to the Health Select Committee calling for them to make aHSCT an available treatment option in NZ. It was live streamed on Facebook and the recording can be viewed here. Fast forward to 59:08 to hear Joan […]
Making progress to make Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment (aHSCT) an available treatment option in NZ for MS
Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment (aHSCT) is an intense chemotherapy treatment which aims to wipe out harmful immune cells and rebuild the immune system. aHSCT is a life-improving treatment halting the disease and disability in its tracks. A person receiving aHSCT will potentially need NO further treatment. Following treatment, many PwMS report improvements to mobility, […]
MS in the media: Nurse, Zazi, thought her MS symptoms were due to new job stress
An Auckland nurse was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after first believing her symptoms were due to career stress. Zazi Gohar, 26, from West Auckland’s Te Atatū, learned she had MS, an often disabling disease of the central nervous system, in 2020 after her legs and hands became completely numb. Gohar said she’d been experiencing symptoms of MS since she was […]
Media: Kiwi’s with MS thriving from overseas stem-cell treatment urge Government to approve it here
The Government’s being urged to get a move on and approve a stem-cell treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). A petition was presented to Parliament on Tuesday, calling for the Health Minister to fund the treatment which has shown to halt some of the debilitating symptoms of the disease. Three years ago Anne Besley […]
aHSCT in the news: We’re fed up waiting for it to be made available here
A 10,000-strong petition asking Health New Zealand to extend “game-changing” stem cell treatment to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is set to be delivered to Parliament. The petition started by Aucklander Joan Perry, whose daughter Anne Besley has MS, calls for autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) to be made available for selected patients in New Zealand. Doctors […]
aHSCT in the media – Bronwyn Hutchinson interview on Today FM
Listen how Bronwyn struggled with every day life, couldn’t look after her children or hold a book, and how it led her to raise $100,000 and head to Mexico for life changing treatment, aHSCT. The interview was aired this morning (26/07/22) on Today FM and you can listen here: https://www.todayfm.co.nz/home/podcasts/tova-catchup-podcast—today-fm.html Fast forward to 20.11 to […]
Media Release: Government urged to “get a move on” and approve cost-effective, proven, stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
Tuesday 26th July 2022 A private petition is being delivered to the steps of parliament at lunchtime today – calling for the government to green-light a treatment, readily available overseas, which is delivering remarkable improvements to the health of many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide.The petition is the work of patients and their families, […]
Join us on the steps of Parliament to present the aHSCT petition!
Download a copy of the poster here: aHSCT Petition Presentation Public Invitation – 26th July 2022
Luis – My aHSCT Journey
Hello, my name is Luis and I’m from Portugal. I am a 51 year old, drummer and I have MS. I’ve been active all my life on bikes, racing, gym, etc. On February 1, 2016, I woke up with a very strong pain in my left leg. I couldn’t walk or stand I didn’t know […]
My aHSCT story – Lucy Kerly
Lucy Kerly had aHSCT on the NHS at Hammersmith Hospital in London at the beginning of 2022. Both she and her husband live with MS – Steve was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2003 when he was 29 and travelled to Mexico for HSCT in 2016. Then, in 2020, Lucy found out she also had […]