Mayo woman living with MS seeks help to undergo special treatment in India

A Mayo woman living with multiple sclerosis has launched an online appeal to help raised €40,000 for treatment for a disease which has left her with ‘minimal’ quality of life.

Patricia Kilcoyne, Kilsallagh, Louisburgh, suffers with pain, fatigue, vertigo, and near-total loss of mobility on her left-hand side because of multiple sclerosis.

A former member of the staff of The Connaught Telegraph, she has been unable to work for 13 years and has had to move out of her home into a mobile home in her parents’ farmyard.

She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012. Before then, she lived a very active life.

In her appeal, she stated: "Despite trying many different DMT's (disease modifying treatments) over the years, I have progressively become more disabled.

"The symptoms I struggle with most are pain, fatigue, and virtigo, aside from my physical impairment, which includes loss of use of my left arm and leg. These all make me fearful of what the future holds for me.

"I first heard about HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment) about eight years ago and in terms of my own treatment and prognosis, it's something I've been very interested and excited about since.

"HSCT is a chemotherapy; with the premise being that the immune system is wiped out and then reinstated by the use of new stem cells, which will potentially halt the progression of the MS and allow the central nervous system to repair itself.

"I am very anxious to have this treatment as I believe it may be the key to reclaiming some quality of life.

"Unfortunately the treatment is not available in Ireland, but it is possible to have it in other countries, albeit at a high cost.

"I am endeavouring to raise €40,000 to avail of the HSCT in India. The funds raised will go towards the treatment, travel costs, and any recovery expenses afterwards.

"I'm asking that you help by donating to enable me to receive this treatment to reclaim some quality of life, and some hope for the future.

Any donations no matter the amount would be greatly appreciated but, if you are not in a position to donate please share the gofundme link with family and friends."

In an interview with the Irish Independent, she revealed how on August 23, 2011, she suddenly collapsed in the home she’d built and moved into earlier that year.

“I was just really, really dizzy with really bad balance. My vision wasn’t focusing,” she recalled.

“I went to my doctor, and I was diagnosed with vertigo. That went on until October of that year. And then eventually in November they did an MRI, they did a lumbar puncture and based on that the doctors told me I needed to see a neurologist to see what was going on.

“I saw him during Christmas week that year, again in January and March and it was in May of 2012, then, that he confirmed that I had multiple sclerosis, and I started treatment.”

She had shown debilitating symptoms long before that 2012 diagnosis.

“I had severe fatigue. For about four months initially I was sleeping 22-23 hours a day and that improved the fatigue side of things. I had constant pain everywhere though,” she explained.

“I was getting numbing sensations in different parts of my body and then by May 2012, when I finally got the diagnosis, I was having an intermittent foot drop on the left-hand side. That progressed and slowly the foot drop got worse on the left side, and I got a functional electrical stimulation device to try and keep me on my feet.

“Because the fatigue and the pain and everything else, I had to give up my job, pretty much instantly. I never managed to return to work. I tried, and my boss was amazing. I kept my job, they kept putting up with me trying to go back to work. Eventually, in August 2012 I had to admit defeat.”

By 2019, due to her condition and the resulting financial pressures, Patricia moved out of her home, which she now rents to a young couple, into a mobile home on the family farm.

She still does some farm work and looks after her two horses with help from her cousin.

A number of years ago, she purchased a Kubota all-terrain vehicle to help her navigate the farm after several bad falls, some of which required hospitalisation.

“My quality of life is, I suppose, minimal, at this stage,” says Patricia.

She has undergone various forms of treatment for her illness. However, her symptoms have continued to worsen..

Receiving treatment in India, and associated costs like travel and recovery, will cost Patricia approximately €40,000.

To date, over €9,466 has been pledged by 85 donors on her GoFundMe page at the time of writing.