Multiple Sclerosis

Malia's MS Odyssey: A Life-Changing Treatment

Malia was a top Dallas trial attorney--a senior partner in a law firm--and the mother of three children-- the youngest, age five. Her energy level was high and her life was full. And then she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The next 16 years were a journey of declining energy and mobility. Ultimately, she could only walk a very short distance with a walker. Her balance became more unsteady. Her speech was harder to understand. And the fatigue got so bad that even taking a shower was so exhausting that she needed a nap afterward.

Then, during a very extensive search on the internet for innovative treatments, she discovered the work of Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, Senior Neurologist and head of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. She learned that Prof. Karussis was conducting a world-first clinical trial involving the injection of a patient’s own stem cells directly into the spinal cord.

Malia met Prof. Karussis for the first time in December 2014. Since she was accepted into HMO for treatment, she has had four stem cell transfusions. With the very first one, her energy soared. With each subsequent one, she improved in different ways. Sometimes, the improvement in her gait was most noticeable; other times, it was the clarity of her speech; with the last infusion, it was a tremendous improvement in her balance.

“I had forgotten what it was like to feel like a regular person--like someone with a normal level of energy; I had forgotten what it was like to feel good,” Malia says. Malia feels blessed. “Until you’ve been there," she says, “you can’t really understand just how important it is to feel like a regular person.”

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