MS stem cell treatment leaves Surrey Dad wondering if he'll ever work again

• WATCH: A man from Surrey says a pioneering stem cell transplant has made his symptoms worse, as Stacey Poole reports.

A dad from Surrey who has undergone a pioneering stem cell transplant to try halt the progression of his MS, says he's devastated things have not improved.

Martin Stokes undertook a radical procedure that involved aggressive chemotherapy that wiped out his immune system and required four months in isolation - away from his wife and young daughter.

But six months after the treatment, Martin says it has made his symptoms worse.

Martin describes the treatment as being the hardest thing he has ever done, but all seemed to be going well until he left hospital.

He then suddenly lost the ability to walk and was diagnosed with a viral infection. He was rushed back into hospital, where treatment got the virus under control, but it's had a huge impact on his health.

Martin says: "Everything is worse. Walking is so much harder. Ears, eyes, motor skills, cognitive ability, that has all suddenly tumbled down."

"I just struggle to do everyday things like getting around the house. I've also lost a lot of dexterity in my hand. I'm concerned I won't be able to work."

The treatment is known to have a lot of side effects but the severity of the decline was not something Martin expected and he's struggling to cope with his new reality.

The only hope is that although his symptoms are worse, the treatment may still halt the progression of the MS, but that is very uncertain.

Nobody can give him any guarantees about his future, all he can do is hope things improve.

Martin says: "It's a difficult thing to process. Though I'm back home now, it's still difficult on my wife because I'm not the person she knew in October, and that's a very quick change. It's definitely made things worse."

Asked if he regretted having the treatment, he says: "I never regret anything in life, I just hope I have not been through all of this, for nothing."

The MS Society has said that HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation) has provided many patients with relapsing MS an improvement in symptoms.

Clinical trials showed 99% of people treated had no relapse for one year, and 94% of those in the trial didn't see their disability get worse for three years.

But this treatment can have severe side effects including an increased long term risk of infection, an increased risk of developing cancer and autoimmune conditions, early menopause and fertility problems.

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