Stourbridge will stage a Testimonial match on May 7 to raise funds for life-changing treatment for Stacey Harrell, the wife of club favourite Rob.
Stacey, 37, requires HSCT, which involves full chemotherapy, against Multiple Sclerosis.
Stacey and Rob have three children, aged between six and 13, and hope that HSCT, which was featured in a BBC Panorama programme in 2016, will reset the immune system to stop it from attacking the central nervous system.
Haematopoietic stem cells are not the type of stem cells that would be expected to change into or regenerate permanently damaged nerves or other parts of the brain and spinal cord.
AHSCT involves a number of steps:
Collection or ‘harvesting’ of stem cells from the bone marrow or blood of the person receiving treatment.
Freezing of the harvested stem cells until they are required. In some trials, the stem cells are purified before freezing.
Administration of chemotherapy to wipe out an individual’s white blood cells
Infusion of the thawed stem cells to help ‘reset’ the immune system.
Many patients worldwide are traveling to centres in Mexico and Russia to undertake HSCT, many seeing excellent results. There has been much press coverage recently as BBC war correspondent Caroline Wyatt recently travelled to Mexico in the new year to undertake treatment and is already reporting improvements.
The match at Stourton Park on May 7 will be between a Stourbridge Saxons Dream XV and a Barbarians XV. Kick off at 3pm.
Stacey’s Just Giving page can be found at:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stacey-hurrell