Paula is a school teacher. She was diagnosed with MDS in August 2019 after collapsing in school. After many blood transfusions, the hospital told her the best treatment would be a stem cell transplant.
Paula told us:
“I was diagnosed with MDS in August 2019 and had a stem cell transplant in December.
I was so scared, I had never heard of it before and didn’t know what would happen to me and I feared for my family.
I underwent harsh chemo and my body was prepped to receive new stem cells from a young man in Germany...my hero!
I’m lucky, I was given the all clear in March 2020 and my bone marrow is now being used for research purposes.
Anyway, after being a total nightmare and being at an all time low, I have decided to pick myself up, dust myself off and do something to help other people out."
“I’ve had a dreadful couple of years as I had to isolate after my transplant and didn’t know if I’d be home for Christmas with my family. Then the pandemic started.
“The one thing that struck me was how little everyone was aware of MDS, so there wasn’t much help available. The hospital recommended MDS UK, so I recently joined the Facebook group.
"It’s amazing how it feels like such a community. I felt less lonely when talking to others with the disease and knew they felt supported and comforted when hearing my story.
"I had the all clear in March but have seen first-hand how MDS UK helps.
I hope to raise as much money as possible through my stroll so the charity can continue to help people.”
