A brave South Australian woman with a rare and incurable disease has become one of the first in the world to take part in a trial that could revolutionise its treatment.
Katrina Jensen, 68, was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in December and told she would only have a few years left to live. The disease attacks the body's nervous system and leads to trouble moving, talking, swallowing and eventually breathing.It affects about 2100 Australians, according to MND Australia.
Jensen said the hardest part of the disease was organising herself in the meantime so she wouldn't "end up in a heap at the bottom of the stairs".The grandmother, however, has decided to trial new pills designed to fix broken links between neurons and restore communication channels in the brain."This is a unique treatment, which has the potential to restore some of those lost connections that disappear when you have MND," Dr David Schultz said.
Jensen is one of 24 patients who have signed up for the trial rolling out in hospitals in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. Jensen is one of 24 patients who have signed up for the trial that is rolling out in hospitals in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney."If successful, there's hope the drug could also help patients with other conditions such as Alzheimer's or Schizophrenia.