Orlando area Woman to undergo stem cell procedure to treat multiple sclerosis

 

A 26-year-old mother of two is about to embark on a medical journey that could stop her multiple sclerosis in its tracks.  The disease, which attacks the central nervous system, affects more than 400,000 Americans.

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but Heather Nicole Burke believes the stem cell replacement procedure she is about to undergo could make a big difference.

Burke contacted FOX 35, because she wants others to know that the procedure.

When Burke got news that her insurance would cover the still-experimental procedure, “I looked at my phone, and I was like, ‘This is real!  I’m going to get my life back!  I’m going to be OK!  I’m going to be able to take care of my children!'”

Burke will soon travel from Florida to Chicago for a multi-step stem cell therapy that could stop her disease from progressing.

Dr. Richard Burt, the chief or immunotherapy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital,  and his team will use Burke’s stem cells to reset her immune system.