Melanie began noticing fatigue and an autoimmune disease was detected, but was misdiagnosed for years. Finally, MS was confirmed by Mayo Clinic in 2019. She researched and discovered aHSCT (autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant) but had to leave her own country to have the treatment in Puebla, Mexico at Clinica Ruiz. Frustrated that aHSCT, mesenchymal stem cell therapy (MSCT) or other life-saving treatments are not being offered to MS patients without participating in a clinical trial, Melanie realized something more needed to be done for the MS community and became determined to help. Then she met a woman named Edna who had advanced MS, and was telling everyone she just wanted to die. Melanie was even more determined than ever and decided to advocate for MS patients. Sadly, she has met countless others just like Edna, whose cries for help had fallen on deaf ears for far too long. Melanie started the SWiMS Facebook group and brought together a Board of Directors to found Society With MS, a nonprofit organization. She was adamant that the SWiMS bylaws state that ALL board members must have MS. Her vision was for SWiMS to be a patient-led movement whose mission is to seek out the most promising research for a cure and/or remyelination for MS for a cure and/or remyelination for MS.