A WOMAN has set up a fundraising page to help her long-time friend get treatments for multiple sclerosis.

Rachel Swinden, who lives in Taunton, has decided to launch an online fundraiser to secure the £80,000 her friend Rebecca Bryant needs to treat MS.

Rebecca, 39, was diagnosed with the condition seven years ago and now her friend Rachel has decided to step up and help her reach the target for stem cell treatment.

Rachel met Rebecca 15 years ago and the two friends currently work together in retail.

The disease “has taken away many things that make her happy” but she still “fights” and “tries” every day. 

Somerset County Gazette:
Rebecca and Rachel

Rachel, 32, said: “It started quite slowly. She can’t walk now but she tries every day. She is very well on the outside. She is positive, she is very happy, but she has anxiety.

“We work together, and we try to keep the pressure off. I know her boyfriend is taking on a big part of her life. They bring her niece over so she can play, she is very family-oriented.”

Rachel also said there is no cure for MS but treatment could slow down the disease.

She added: “There won’t be a cure, there’s no cure for MS, but we could slow down the spread of the disease and increase the quality of her life and it may even stop.”

She also said Rebecca could have looked for treatment in the United States but they decided to “cure her in the UK with the support of her family”.

The two friends used to share many outdoor activities, like walking the dogs, but the “disease has taken away many things that make her happy”.

Rachel added: “We used to walk the dogs together but now even going out for dinner it’s a massive effort for her.

“Multiple sclerosis, technically, can be an invisible illness. People may not see the fatigue, the panic, but her body is slowly shutting down.”

Anyone wishing to donate can visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-bexy-have-stem-cell-treatment