A mum-of-one from Hayes End who has had multiple sclerosis for nearly 20 years is hoping life-changing treatment may allow her to walk alongside her husband and daughter.
Deepa Thakrar, 39, who has a four-year-old daughter, has been left unable to walk without a walking stick after being diagnosed with MS when she was just 20 years old.
From initial symptoms such as blurred vision and numbness, Deepa's condition deteriorated over the years and now she struggles to do up a button or plait her daughter’s hair.
Since Deepa and husband Dharmesh welcomed baby Anaya into the world, she now relies on a walker to get around, with the next step being full-time use of a wheelchair.
Speaking to getwestlondon , the mum-of-one said she would "give anything" to regain the part of her life taken away from her by MS, a condition affecting the brain and spinal cord.
She said: "My condition means my legs get really tired, I'm constantly having to rely on my husband and family members to take me places.
"I don't cook anymore, I can't wash clothes, my husband does all the things in the house as well as taking care of the [family's cake baking] business. It's been really hard on us as a family.
"Giving my daughter a bath can be difficult. Lots of little day-to-day things you wouldn't think are significant you miss out on, like walking with Anaya to school.
"I just want to do some of the things a married woman and mother would do for their family. My daughter doesn’t know what it feels like to walk with her mum, or to play in the park with me.
"I really would love that more than anything."
As Deepa's condition deteriorated, she heard about a stem cell treatment being researched which is in its early stages. However, she was later told by her consultant she did not fit the UK criteria.
Now, after hearing about the benefits of the treatment from other MS sufferers, the 39-year-old has launched a fundraising page so she can receive the life-changing treatment abroad.
The stem cell treatment, known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), claims to "halt the progression of MS" and has left some less reliant on crutches, Deepa said.
Including aftercare, flights to a country where the treatment is carried out, with Russia and Mexico being option, and a carer for the duration of the trip, the stem cell treatment costs £50,000. The mum-of-one has already raised nearly £14,000 in one month.
With the help of generous donors, Deepa says she could "one day be able to walk alongside my husband and daughter and feel my independence again".
She added: "[The treatment] would be life-changing. I've been speaking to one man who had two walking sticks and now doesn't really use them.
"He gets to play with his kids and enjoy them growing up. I want to be able to enjoy my daughter growing up too and be able to get on my feet with her.
"I need to stop my MS from getting any worse than it already is, otherwise I feel I will become completely house-bound and totally dependent on my husband and family to live my daily life.
"I can’t tell you how much the treatment would mean to me and my family."
To donate and help fund Deepa's treatment, click here . You can also donate by visiting the West Ealing newsagents' run by Deepa's parents in The Avenue, Ealing.
