Can you help fundraising campaign to pay for 'life-changing' treatment for Leamington man with MS?

James Monks, 29, was diagnosed with MS after he suffered a spinal impact injury last summer – his physical and mental health have been in continuous decline ever since
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Family and friends of a Leamington man have launched a fundraising campaign to pay for potentially “life-changing” treatment for him after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) last year.

James Monks, 29, was diagnosed with MS after he suffered a spinal impact injury last summer – his physical and mental health have been in continuous decline ever since.

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His close friend Alistair Taylor, also of Leamington, has launched an a page on GoFundMe.com on behalf of James’ partner Hazel Jenkins with the aim of raising £50,000 so James can undergo stem cell therapy in Mexico.

James Monks with his partner Hazel JenkinsJames Monks with his partner Hazel Jenkins
James Monks with his partner Hazel Jenkins

Alistair said: “James has his whole life ahead of him.

“He was an active, healthy, guy and is a lover of all things outdoors - most at home with any kind of board beneath his feet.

"His passion and talent for wakeboarding in particular was something that James lived for until August 2021, when a spinal impact injury turned his and his family’s world upside down.

“Unbeknown to James, multiple sclerosis had been lying dormant in his system. Since his accident last summer, this debilitating disease has been holding his quality of life and his future to ransom.

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“Over the course of this year, James has been in continuous decline.

"With impeded balance he frequently falls and more recently the deterioration has progressed to his right eye, significantly impairing his vision. With this worrying combination of symptoms, Birmingham Eye Hospital was then able to diagnose him.

“Within eight months, the progressive nature of MS has taken James from a picture of health, to being physically unstable, causing real fears of permanent wheelchair status in the future.

"While being well documented for its degenerative nature, the speed at which the disease is taking hold is also having a significant impact on James’ mental health.”

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The early diagnosis of James’ condition within the first 12 months has significantly improved his odds of fighting the disease head-on.

But, under current NHS protocols, the stem cell treatment he wants would not be made available to him until he has suffered several years of decline.

He and Hazel are currently in advanced discussions with a centre in Mexico which specialises in the pioneering treatment.

What makes James’ situation more difficult is that he and Hazel have been living with and helping to care for his grandmother, who is in the advanced stages of dementia.

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His father was also recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and his mother is battling breast cancer.

But the campaign is not far from reaching its fundraising goal with donations now almost at £42,000

Alistair said: “James is a person who has always been generous with his time and always been the first to help others in need.

"Now it is his time to be supported.

"We ask you to help us in this fight for James’ future by donating whatever you're able to, and spreading awareness about this campaign.”

For more information about the campaign or to make a donation visit https://bit.ly/3vFWelq