Brave UK man with MS is ‘living proof’ that stem cell therapy works

A brave UK man with multiple sclerosis has regained the ability to walk, following life-changing stem cell therapy carried out in Mexico.

Mr Eric Thompson, 50, lost the ability to walk or use his right hand after he was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 2011.

The Hartlepool resident was confined to a wheelchair for nearly four years, until Mr Thompson and his wife Joanna travelled to Tijuana, Mexico, to undergo an unusual form of treatment.

With help from friends and family members, the Thompsons successfully raised £40,000 for innovative stem cell therapy, which left Mr Thompson “absolutely delighted by the results”.

At first, Mr Thompson thought that it would take up to two years before he saw signs of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) treatment slowing the progression of his disease.

But since he visited Riaz Clinic in Tijuana in June, for bouts of chemotherapy and the eventual stem cell transplant on July 17, Mr Thompson has found himself back on his feet within just days of treatment.

“At the end of the treatment I had to have a Rituximab Infusion which acts as a booster for the stem cells. I am due to have another five of these infusions which will act as maintenance for the transplant and I am hoping the NHS will fund it, otherwise we have to raise another £5,000,” he said.

“The downside is the cost, but you can’t put a price on a life.

“I am living proof that it works.

“I wasn’t expecting this level of success. To get that result so quickly has been amazing,” he added.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society has confirmed that HSCT is currently being trialled in the UK.