A dad with motor neurone disease has had stem cell treatment in a desperate bid to see his young daughters grow up, after Comet readers helped raise the £30,000 needed to pay the medical bill.

The Comet: Scott Everett and his wife Catherine and daughters Anna and Evie enjoyed a holiday together earlier this year. Picture: Catherine Everett.Scott Everett and his wife Catherine and daughters Anna and Evie enjoyed a holiday together earlier this year. Picture: Catherine Everett. (Image: Archant)

Scott Everett, who lives in Stevenage, was given the devastating diagnosis in March and given up to three years to live.

He has progressive bulbar palsy, which affects speech and swallowing before spreading to the rest of the body.

Scott is only 46 and has two daughters - five-year-old Anna and three-year-old Evie. In a bid to slow progression of the disease, his family set up a Go Fund Me appeal in May to raise £30,000 for stem cell treatment in Moscow. Other patients with MND who have had this treatment have reported improvements.

The target was reached last month and Scott flew to Moscow on September 24, returning last Saturday after two weeks of stem cell treatment.

He received six types of stem cells - three from donors and three that were harvested from his own body, which were bone marrow, stomach fat and blood. These were administered via a series of drips and injections over the two weeks, together with infusions of vitamins and amino acids.

Scott’s wife, Catherine, said: “Ironically, motor neurone disease aside, he is probably the healthiest he has been for a long time.

“We have been told to expect maintaining functions as they currently are, rather than a dramatic improvement, although I think there is already a small improvement in his eating.

“He has to rest and recover over the coming weeks to let his body do what it needs to on a cellular level and there will be a follow up in three months’ time.”

She added: “It’s definitely a good feeling to have our family back together again, but there’s no getting away from it - it is a cruel disease.

“Right now we need to keep Scott healthy and continue to raise awareness of the disease and the research the Motor Neurone Disease Association funds, in the hope this treatment might become more readily available.”

The fundraising page for Scott remains open to help pay for the drug Radicut, which he is also likely to need.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/scott-needs-stem-cells.

For more about the Motor Neurone Disease Association, visit www.mndassociation.org.