Jackie Hodson knows there is no miracle cure that can save her husband Dave from his terminal brain illness. But the mum-of-two is desperate to prolong and improve his quality of life with a breakthrough course of stem cell treatment in China.

Now Jackie is on a mission to raise the £20,000 needed to pay for the treatment that could dramatically change Dave's life.

She said: "I know it is a long way to travel and it is a very expensive treatment but we have to try, we have to give Dave this chance.
"There are no guarantees it will be successful but it is the only treatment that might completely change Dave's life."

Over the past two years Jackie and her two children Ryan and Emma have watched as Dave battled with Multiple System Atrophy - a condition caused by degeneration of nerve cells in specific areas of the brain.

Dave, 60, is now unable to walk unaided and can only get around with assistance or a mobility scooter.

Even with help he still looses his balance and has many falls which means he spends most of his time indoors as going out causes great difficulty.

Jackie said: "Life has changed so drastically during the last two years.

"Dave was unable to continue work at Reed Hycalog at Stonehouse where he worked for 25 years.

"He has also had to give up playing bass guitar in a band, which he has done for the past 40 years."

Dave's love of music led him to be a popular performer in many bands.

Over the years he has been a bassist in groups including The Good Goods, Revival, Smiler, The Trespassers and Millennium.

He now misses playing his guitars but his passion for music still remains and he spends his days now on the computer creating music.

The Hodson family, who live in Furlong Road, Gloucester, have been searching for any sort of treatment for this rare disease ever since Dave was diagnosed.

Having discovered and researched stem cell treatment Jackie found a hospital in Beijing, China which offers hope for MSA patients.

Although it will not cure the illness she hopes it can improve the quality of her husband's life by improving walking, speech problems and slow down the progression of the disease.

"This is the only hope of any treatment," Jackie added. "We have to go for two months treatment so we are now organising fundraising events to raise the money."

A pig roast evening with a local band playing for free is already in the pipeline and Jackie, who works for the NHS, has been planning various other events.

To read the original article click here.