Newbridge mum enjoying Christmas after life-saving op

A Newbridge resident who needed a life-saving treatment in Chicago is delighted to be enjoying a happy Christmas with her family as she recovers.

Marina Jordan Killoran, 46, flew to Chicago earlier this year for stem cell treatment to tackle the incurable auto-immune disease, Systemic Scleroderm Syndrome.

An online campaign to raise funds ensured that she was able to fly over to the US during the summer for the treatment, which isn't available in Ireland.

She told the Irish Independent: “I can look forward to Christmas knowing that I am no longer dying, I am getting better. I have a future with my family."

Marina is originally from Tallaght but lives in Newbridge with her husband Alan and daughters Shannon, 21, and Erin, 18.

But her hopes of treatment were almost dashed by the time she arrived in Chicago.

"It was so bad that I couldn't walk. By the time I got to Chicago I was in a wheelchair.

“I arrived into the hospital in Chicago and Dr Richard Burt took one look at me and one look at my knee and his face just dropped. He was in two minds.

“At that point I was not going back, I knew time was ticking. This was my last chance."

Marina underwent painful chemotherapy sessions before she had the stem cell treatment.

She continued: “Had I been going over in June for the assessment rather than the surgery with my leg like that then there is no way it would have gone ahead.

“I got in by the skin of my teeth, it is just by the goodness and kindness of the people in Ireland that I am alive today.”

Marina is now recovering well back home with her family, but it's a slow process and the mother-of-two improves day-by-day.

She said: “The recovery is slow because there was a lot of damage done to me. It is going to take time.

"My breathing is so much better. My lung function is great, I still have scar tissue but I can breathe comfortably now

“My persistent cough is gone, I used to struggle to sleep. It was very hard for me to swallow food before but that is now better.”

Some of the improvements Marina has seen include a vast improvement of her calcinosis.

“There was an awful lot of damage done to me," she said. "I was at the point where my body was turning to stone.

“All that was happening to me was that I was getting worse, I knew I didn't have long to live."

Marina is now out of her wheelchair and only uses crutches to get herself around, and the amount of drugs she has to use has also dramatically reduced.

She said: “It's fascinating to watch and see your body over time improve and repair itself.

“My bloods are good, all the signs are there that I am in remission. In my opinion I am in remission but I haven't seen my consultants here.

“I'm on anti-virals. I'm only 7.5mg of steroids now at one point I was on 40-60mg. I was on 2g of cellcept, I am now on 1g and I will be weaned off that.”