A husband has “flown halfway across the world” to save his young wife from going into care.
Scott McPhillimy, 34, is undergoing treatment in Mexico in a desperate bid to halt his multiple sclerosis (MS) so as he can look after his 34-year-old wife, Suzanne.
Despite the brutal process which acts as "severe chemotherapy", leaving him “wiped out”, Scott told the Glasgow Times one of the hardest things about the experience is how much he misses his wife’s “smiley face”.
It comes after she tragically suffered a sudden severe brain aneurysm during lockdown at their home in East Kilbride, leaving her disabled and relying on around-the-clock support.
Scott is determined to care for his wife himself but fears his MS could prevent this in the future as the condition can trigger problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.
He has now spent £45,000 to “draw a line under it” to stop it progressing by attending Clinica Ruiz in Puebla for the haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
He said: “Suzanne means the world to me. We have been together since we were 16, and this will be the longest I have been away from her.
“I’m missing her wee smiley face. Part of what makes the treatment so hard is being so far away.
“It is very difficult, the husband and wife relationship isn’t what you expect for someone our age but I still love her to bits.
“We still have that connection but we can’t go out for nice meals or holidays anymore, it's more of a caretaker relationship.
“It’s not what we expected at this age. If anything we thought it was me needing to be looked after since I was diagnosed with MS first.
“The treatment I am getting is risky compared to others as it completely wipes you out and resets your immune system.
“I stay motivated because it offers me the chance at drawing a line under my MS.
“Without me she would need to go into residential care at 34 that's not fair at all.”
Scott arrived in Mexico last week and scans revealed lesions on his spine along with a hole in his brain.
He is unsure how long they have been in his body since being diagnosed at 26-years-old but hopes his treatment will stop them progressing.
The haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a complex procedure which aims to stop the damage MS causes by wiping out and regrowing the immune system, using stem cells.
It is not offered in Scotland but can be commissioned on the NHS in England in extreme cases.
If successful Scott will be able to fly home at the end of this month and not need further medication for the illness.
He hopes this will allow him to care for his wife who has been in a wheelchair and struggled with communication since November 2020.
Suzanne had been on a work video chat during the pandemic when she collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
Doctors warned Scott that there was little that could be done as the aneurysm was so severe but he pleaded with them to try.
She then underwent several serious brain surgeries and was in a coma for three months at just 32-years-old.
Now, Scott is determined to be there for Suzanne as she was there for his MS.
Scott said: “I just take it one day at a time, that's all you can do.
“My MS came out of nowhere. I was young, fit, and healthy, it wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
“Suzanne also had no previous symptoms before her aneurysm, she was training for a 5k and was only 32-years-old.
“The doctors told us it was catastrophic and there was nothing we could do but the surgeon took a gamble and managed to save her.
“It was a life-changing injury and has impacted her significantly.
“It is hard for her to communicate and express what she wants to say, she can only really understand simple questions.
“Her long-term memory is okay which is a blessing because she remembers the wedding and honeymoon, she likes to look at old pictures of them.”
Scott's family have rallied round to set up a GoFundMe to help them during this difficult time.
The money is being spent on his treatment along with making their house more accessible for Suzanne.
Scott said he was blown away by the generosity of loved ones as the page has raised more than £2000.
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