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“We are not in the business of making money. We are in business to help our patients in Canada. Our health care system will not allow us to start taking in patients from around the world.”

The treatment is not for everyone. It comes with risks and some limitations.

When Molson had the transplant, she was told the risk of death was one in 10 (the researchers say it is less than that due to medical advances). She also knew she would never be able to conceive children. Those were risks she was willing to take, she says, because of the rapid progression of her disease.

More than a decade after the procedure, Molson says she has actually improved, rather than simply stabilizing. It has changed her life.

“It sounds corny, but I have a whole new appreciation for life. I don’t take anything for granted.”

Freedman says that kind of feedback is rewarding, especially given the damage MS causes.

“It has got to be one of the most satisfying things to be able to actually help people.”

There are currently about 10 licensed drugs to treat MS and treatment is getting better, but with most of those drugs, says Atkins, MS will usually “break through” at some point, which can mean relapses or further progression of disabilities caused by the disease.

Patients whose disease is advanced and with accumulated progressive disabilities are not good candidates for the procedure, say the researchers. It is intended for patients with early, aggressive MS that cannot be well controlled by drugs.