Trial may help future victims of the illness

NORMAL family life for Paul Kellas has all but stopped since his MS began to progress.

Now Paul, 51, is involved in a trial of the drug Simvastatin, which may change his life if successful.

Paul, who formerly worked on an IT helpdesk and has qualifications in environmental IT, had the relapsing remitting form of MS at first and his condition remained stable.

But he said: “By 2015, my condition deteriorated and I noticed a marked difference in my mobility.”

Things worsened and two years later he got the news he had secondary progressive MS. His condition deteriorated so much he had to give up work.

He lives with partner Angi Barstow, 46, and her two children aged 12 and 15. Paul said: “I find it frustrating that even simple things like going to the beach with the children is a struggle.”

He added: “I have been on the trial since near the beginning but it is a double blind trial so neither I, nor my consultant, know if I am taking Simvastatin or I am on the placebo.

“At first I thought I did notice a difference with my mobility but I don’t know if that was psychological because I was going to the gym and the activity was maybe giving me a boost.

“Recently, my mobility has slightly worsened but my exercise has decreased because I haven’t been at the gym much.

“I don’t think the trial is going to help me directly because there is a strong possibility my disease may have progressed too far but I am doing this for future sufferers for whom it’s not too late.

“Even taking part in it has made me feel more positive because I know they are actually trying to do something.”