A VICTORIA Point woman with multiple sclerosis is raising money to travel to Russia for a specialised stem cell treatment.
Roberta Russell is aiming to raise 45,000 euros - about $73,000 - to cover the cost of a haematopoietic stem cell transplant in Moscow.
She will hold a fundraiser at the Redland Bowls Club on February 1.
The treatment sees doctors use chemotherapy drugs to destroy the immune system before transplanting stem cells to rebuild a healthy system.
In many cases, the treatment has been known to halt symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which can include vision loss, pain, fatigue and impaired co-ordination.
Ms Russell - a former teacher - said the treatment was more accessible in Russia than in Australia.
She learned about HSCT when television show 60 Minutes produced a feature on Gold Coast woman Kristy Cruise, one of the first Australians to undergo the treatment in Moscow.
"(Ms Cruise) was previously in a wheelchair and after recovery she was back running again," Ms Russell said.
"There's been quite a lot of Australians who have gone and had the treatment done."
Ms Russell said the treatment was not a complete cure for multiple sclerosis but there was a 75 per cent chance it would stop the disease progressing any further.
"No improvements are guaranteed but most people get some improvement in their symptoms," she said.
Ms Russell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008 and is now in the secondary progressive stage of the disease.
"I had plateaus over the years but I haven't really got anything back," she said.
"It's been particularly the last year and a half that I've had difficulty walking.
"The treatment is quite intense but I feel with the deterioration that I've had that I can only really decide to do it now.
"Wherever I end up I'll know that I've done everything I could to help myself."
Ms Russell's children praised her resilience and fighting spirit, which had helped her to remain positive, generous and dignified while she battled multiple sclerosis.
The fundraiser for Ms Russell's treatment will be held from 6.30pm on Saturday, February 1 at the Redland Bowls Club, Victoria Point.
It will include live entertainment like Irish/Australian band The Life of Reilly, as well as a buffet, raffles, a silent auction and barefoot bowls.
Tickets are $30 each. Visit Ms Russell's fundraising page at mycause.com.au/page/213427/robertas-race-to-russia-for-hsct and click the donate button. Include your name and the number of tickets required in the message section when donating.