A Perthshire mum is looking forward to Christmas with her family as she recovers from potentially life-prolonging therapy overseas.
Nicola Lunn travelled to Serbia for stem cell treatment which is not available on the NHS.
Friends and family raised thousands of pounds for the trip after a medical blunder denied her the lung transplant she’d been counting on.
Nicola, 52, should have been given bone-protection drugs to counter the effects of steroids she has been taking for her health conditions.
NHS Tayside specialists admitted they had got it wrong.
But their oversight has left the mum-of-two too weak for surgery.
And earlier this year she learned the NHS could only offer her end-of-life care.
However, Nicola and her loved ones refused to be beaten.
They launched a fundraising appeal to help pay for the “final option” stem cell therapy.
And in September, she spent 12 days being treated at a clinic in Serbia.
Nicola, who depends on oxygen to breathe now, said it had been a “gruelling” experience.
“There was a lot to it,” she said.
“I had physio for my back and a lot of blood tests. I felt like a pin cushion by the end of it. But the staff at the clinic were so nice, and I had my brother with me.
“If this works, they want me back for more, so we’ll see what next year brings.”
‘I knew I’d have regretted not going for it’
Nicola is now back home in Perth and looking forward to a family Christmas.
She received a series of medical tests in the past few days.
The results should be available in the new year.
And these will help her decide on the next course of treatment.
“They say it takes three to six months to show any improvement,” she said.
“That’s me at the three months now.
“I have good days and bad days, but I am staying positive. I know I would have regretted it if I hadn’t gone for it.”
Nicola has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and then interstitial lung disease since 2010.
The steroids she needed to manage those conditions left her with osteoporosis, which has led to rib and lower spine fractures.
When you know you have so many people fighting your corner you can’t give up. You just have to keep going
Specialists have ruled out a lung transplant, saying she might not survive the operation.
More than 180 people have donated to an online fundraiser to pay for life-prolonging treatment.
That’s in addition to the many events and activities which have taken place in the community.
Supporters’ backing is source of hope
On her gofundme page, Nicola’s sister-in-law Rachel Lunn writes that they are fundraising for stem cell therapy as a “final option”.
“We had all our hopes pinned on her getting the transplant. We are absolutely heartbroken,” she says.
Much of the fundraising has been centred around Methven where Nicola lived for much of her life before ill health prompted the move to Perth.
Long-time friend Fiona McLanaghan is currently running a ‘pick a number’ competition on the village Facebook page with a chance to win a stay in a luxury lodge near Pitlochry.
Nicola’s sons Harry, 26, and Peter, 22, had been due to climb Ben Nevis in aid of the campaign.
However, the planned date coincided with her trip to Serbia, so the pair have postponed it to next year.
Nicola previously told The Courier the backing of friends and strangers had meant everything to her.
“It’s humbling to see so many people doing all these things to help me,” she said.
“There are days when I just want to give up. But when you know you have so many people fighting your corner you can’t give up. You just have to keep going.”
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