"I know if I don't receive this treatment I will die"- Newbridge mother appealing for help in cancer battle
Mum Marina Jordan Killoran is calling for help in her battle to get treatment for a deadly auto-immune disease.
The 45-year-old former bank worker from Newbridge was the picture of health, super fit and eating healthily when she was struck with the rare illness ‘Systematic Scleroderma Syndrome 10 years ago’.
It is caused by the over-production of the protein collagen - the same protein that is injected in cosmetic surgery to smooth wrinkles on the face - which thickens the connective tissues of the body. This process leads to scar tissue building up on the internal organs, such as the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver. Limited research has been conducted into the illness due to the rare nature of it.
She appeared on the RTÉ Today show with Dáithí Ó'Sé and Maura Derrane yesterday afternoon in a bid to help raise money for the vital treatment that could save her life.
However, hope is on the horizon. One treatment in the US has proven to be somewhat effective in fighting the illness, which involves stem cell transplants…and Marina has been deemed a candidate for it. The cost is over €100,000 which the family is now actively trying to raise. With Marina currently spending six-and-a-half days a week in bed, she and her family believe this is her only chance and what’s more, the assessment that led her acceptance on the programme will expire in a few weeks.
"I have recently returned from Northwest Memorial Hospital in Chicago and met with Dr Richard Burt, an immunologist. He carried out an assessment on me, an evaluation that has proven positive and declared me a candidate for a life-saving stem cell transplant. I know if I don't receive this treatment I will die," said Marina on a video published on the Independent.ie.
A number of fundraisers have been organised to help her access the treatment.
People can donate at: