Residents in Sutherland are being urged to support a crowdfunder to meet the cost of private treatment abroad for a local woman diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness.

A fundraising drive has been launched in the hope of sending 41-year-old Kirsteen Mackay, a Durness native now living in Brora, to Mexico for treatment which she is unable to access on the NHS.

Within hours of the crowdfunder going live this week, it had reached 20 per cent of its 57,000 target.

On her social media page, Ms Mackay, who is experiencing a complication linked to multiple sclerosis, said: The last few years have been a struggle for me and this last year has been the worst as I have had failed treatments with awful side effects.

I just want to thank those who have helped me and continue to do so, as I would not have made it this far without you.

I know money is tight for everyone, but if you can help me get a chance of a new life, I will be forever grateful.

The caring, generous and fun-loving mum, who has a six-year-old son Ruaraidh and who runs Kirsteens Kollection, a decor service for all occasions, was diagnosed in 2018 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Jade McAlea, who set up the crowdfunder said: Kirsteens RRMS is very active and medication is crucial to keeping symptoms or the progression of symptoms under control.

But Ms Mackay was recently dealt a devastating blow when she was told she had tested positive for John Cunningham virus (JC).

The virus is common and usually harmless - in most people it is dormant and does not directly cause health problems. However it can trigger a life-threatening condition called multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

A few of the medications that doctors use to treat MS can reactivate the dormant virus and lead to PML.

This means that treatment for RRMS has been reduced to one option, which can be used for a year, said Ms McAlea. Unfortunately this treatment is also linked to patients being in a high-risk category for developing PML.

The NHS has been wonderful so far in supporting Kirsteen with effective treatment for her RRMS diagnosis, but with this most recent development of JC, the treatment option and timeline is simply time she does not have to spare due to the risk of symptoms exacerbating..

Her most hopeful outcome is to undergo treatment which is available privately in Mexico, but the cost of this treatment means it is an option out of reach. That is where we believe people can make the lifesaving difference.

The procedure Ms Mackay hopes to undergo at Clinica Ruiz in Puebla, is Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSTC), an intense chemotherapy treatment where the patients own stem cells are used to reboot their immune system.

Ms Mackay is not eligible for HSTC on the NHS because she is not a wheelchair user, her family said. The treatment is not available privately in Scotland and there are long waiting lists to have it privately in England.

Ms McAlea continued: We have every faith in our community that we can all come together at such a devastating time for Kirsteen and her family.

No help is too big or small and with all your support, we can provide Kirsteen with the hope of a healthy, happy future.

Click here to donate.

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Crowdfunder launched to pay for life-changing treatment abroad for Brora mum battling MS issues: 'If you can help me get a chance of a new life, I...