Young dad, Marios Christou, desperate to travel to Russia for MS treatment

·

The life of Ocean Grove dad, Marios Christou, changed forever when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2015, about a year after he first experienced numbness and tingling down his left side.

Marios and his wife, Georget, had moved to the Bellarine Peninsula from Cyprus in 2013, eager to create a wonderful life after discovering their first child was on the way.

The 34-year-old, who is dad to 7-year-old Marissa and 6-year-old Angelo, told The Geelong Advertiser the diagnosis was a shock and life-changing.

“In the beginning I was so sad and angry,” he said to the newspaper.

MS is an auto-immune disease of the central nervous system, which interferes with nerve impulses within the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

Marios Christou. Photo: The Geelong Advertiser.

There is no known cure for the disease, but there are treatment options available to help manage symptoms including one called autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT).

This costly treatment involves harvesting stem cells from patients, giving them doses of chemotherapy, then replacing the stem cells in the patient’s body. The aim is to ‘reset’ the immune system to stop it attacking the body.

The only problem is that AHSCT is only available in Australia through three observational clinical trials at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital and in Melbourne at Austin Health and The Alfred Hospital.

As a result Marios, who owns Mavros Fish and Chips with Georget, plans to travel to Russia next year to undergo the treatment. He has already connected with a doctor in Moscow.

Marios told The Geelong Advertiser he was “very nervous but excited” about the prospect of travelling to Russia.

People can donate at a GoFundMe page titled ‘Please Help Mario Christou Beat MS,’ which has already raised more than $16,000.

Source: The Geelong Advertiser.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

BREAKING: Fire breaks out in migrant camp at Turkey-Greece border as tents are burnt down [Video]

A fire has broken out in a Turkish migrant camp on the Greece-Turkey border, shown to be destroying tents and setting the forest ablaze....

Jane Harris: “My mother taught Greek migrants English on their journey to Australia”

Jane Harris reminisces the voyage to Australia and remembers how her mother was volunteering her time to teach English to Greeks immigrants.

Fallen heroes of EOKA honoured with pride by Sydney’s Cypriot community

Sydney's Cypriot community came together on Sunday, April 2 to honour the fallen heroes and heroines of the EOKA struggle.