t’s been amazing to see what people will do to help with the fundraising. Step forward, good friend – Sam Thomson!

What does a man who hates flying and hates heights decide to do to raise money? Hurl himself out of a plane, naturally. This man is risking his life for my future – YES, risking his life! (That’s written for his benefit.) …Though we all know skydiving is far safer than crossing a road. 😉 But still, what an amazing gesture! Who knows – he might even gain a new hobby?

What his wife Gemma didn’t know was that I advertised that if he raises over £5,000, she’ll jump too. ‘Evil genius b*****ds’, I believe she called us when she found out. (Mwahaha!!) Okay, £5k is probably a tall target, but if it happens – everyone’s a winner. Gemma too, I’d like to think.

It’s difficult to put an exact figure on how much he’s raised so far – around £1,000, I think? What an amazing friend this fella is.

Thanks, Sam! And good luck with the jump.

Wow, it’s been an absolute whirlwind couple of weeks! I never could have imagined such incredible support – from close family and friends, colleagues, past colleagues, friends of friends I’ve never met, and even people who have donated simply because they read my story.

It has been so incredibly humbling and totally overwhelming. I’m now over a quarter of the way to the total amount needed – and still going strong! I still have news stories set to appear in the press, a BBC radio interview booked, and more emails to media agencies to write. So keep your eyes and ears peeled. Thank you so much for all the social media shares so far – I can’t tell you how much this has helped. Really!!!

If your Facebook timeline is anything like mine and has been completely vomited on by pictures of me… I apologise. 😉

A massive thank you to Debbie Bowles and my wife Jen for organising an amazing fundraising evening. A three-course meal, with 120 tickets selling out in a weekend – incredible! And thank you to everyone who has arranged so many fantastic prizes for the raffle and auction. I’m actually quite gutted that I won’t be able to bid on some of them.

…And it doesn’t stop there! Family in Liverpool have organised their own event for me too. I’m looking forward to that trip – always so much fun.

Here’s to the next seven weeks… again, thank you!

(the obligatory link)
http://www.gofundme.com/letsgetrid

Hello, I’m Alex Green. I live in Leatherhead, England, and as the title suggests – I have Multiple Sclerosis. And I hate how it’s ruining my life.

I’ve been planning to go to Moscow to see Dr. Fedorenko for pioneering HSCT stem cell treatment to combat, stop, or even cure this cruel condition. The process involves a sharp dose of chemotherapy to wipe out my faulty immune system – the one that’s been attacking my nervous system and stopping my nerves from functioning properly, causing a whole host of physical problems. Then, my own stem cells will be put back in place to build a brand-new immune system – one that doesn’t have the mindset to inflict unnecessary damage.

I used to play sports regularly, enjoy long walks, and love simple days out. That’s largely been taken away from me. I can’t run, I struggle to walk, and a day out is often more stress than fun. But I believe I’m a prime candidate for this treatment, and I’m hopeful of making a good recovery. I hope to walk properly and unaided again, lose the debilitating fatigue I suffer from, and – most of all – kick a football again. That’s my dream. None of this is guaranteed, but it’s possible.

Check back regularly for updates on my blog. I’ll be posting plenty of videos too. Beware: I’ll be speaking very frankly… but I aim to entertain.

Subscribe on YouTube – The Palm Off

== The fundraising page  – www.gofundme.com/letsgetrid ==

Hopefully expecting an email from the hospital in the summer asking, “How’s November for you?”—instead, I got one from Russia on Monday asking, “How’s April?” That’s just nine weeks away!

Amazing. I was expecting another year of putting up with this Multiple Sclerosis condition I’ve dealt with for the last eight years… and now I’ve got weeks!

Crap, I’ve got some serious fundraising to do! But what a fantastic problem to have. I need to raise £45,000. That’s a lot of money – but it’s doable.

That was Monday. It’s now Saturday, and this week has been AMAZING! I can’t believe how lucky I am. I have so many fantastic friends and family, and I’ve been truly humbled by their support. Even old work colleagues have come up trumps.

This week has totally convinced me that this is going to happen. Nearly 20% raised online, one fundraising meal evening organized (80 tickets sold—sales started just four hours ago!), and it’ll probably be sold out before the weekend is over. I have a lot of family up in Liverpool, and they’re holding their own events too—two, in fact! There’s even talk of a friend cycling 200 miles in a day and possibly another jumping out of a plane. Incredible!

I’ve been completely gobsmacked this week. Massively humbled.

I’ve got so much organizing and writing to do, but every evening this week has been spent replying to countless amazing messages and donations. Not that I’m complaining! I’m just so grateful to have Jen—my fantastic wife—rallying around, making phone calls, organizing auction prizes, and selling meal tickets. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

So, this is my first post of many. I’ll keep you posted on what’s happening, my thoughts, and how I’m getting on.

THANK YOU to everyone who’s been so incredibly supportive so far. I certainly don’t feel alone in this. I’ve been buzzing all week – and we’ve only just begun!