Dying Jo begins journey of hope
Dying mum Jo Smith has embarked on her 10-day trip to Arizona in a desperate bid to find a cure for her two terminal illnesses.
She is currently on a cruise liner with her best friend Sarah Lacey (pictured right) on the first leg of their journey.
Jo is so poorly, her doctor has banned her from flying.
Sarah, an Exeter-based music promoter, posted on Facebook: "I'm sat on my little bed on a very big boat with my best friend beside me, about to embark on our biggest mission yet.
"Thank you all so much for supporting Jo, this is going to be life changing, scary, exciting....We are so lucky to have you lot for friends! Keep Jo in your thoughts, she really is the bravest mummy in the world."
Jo is the only person in the world with two rare terminal conditions where treating one would mean the other will kill her.
The 37-year-old suffers from a blood vessel disorder called pulmonary hypertension and has lymphatic cancer. Baffled doctors say that the odds of suffering from both is over 5 billion-to-one.
Jo, who lives near Stoke Cannon, can't have a heart and lung transplant, the only cure for pulmonary hypertension, because the anti rejection medication she would have to take would cause the cancer to grow rapidly.
Previous attempts to save Jo have so far proved unsuccessful, including flying to Thailand to receive medical treatment which did not materialise, and appealing to the public for suggestions of help.
But her hopes were raised when an opportunity came to visit renowned scientist Thomas Incledon who will carry out hundreds of tests to find out the root cause of her illness and devise an individualised treatment plan. Thomas will be introducing Jo to some of the best medical doctors in the world, who will work along side him to help Jo.
However, she needs to raise £70,000 to make the trip and pay the medical fees.
If you would like to help save Jo's life, you can make a donation here: https://www.youcaring.com/jo-smith-447797
See also: Dying Jo releases heartbreaking video in appeal for help: http://www.theexeterdaily.co.uk/news/business-daily-local-news/dying-jo-releases-heartbreaking-video-appeal-help
