Tag: Patient Advocacy
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When Care Goes Wrong: The Hidden Toll of Surgical Complications in Breast Cancer
Introduction: A Quiet Crisis in the Breast Cancer Journey The breast cancer journey is already fraught with fear, uncertainty, and hope. Yet for some patients, the path is complicated not just by disease, but by medical errors or negligence during surgery. While most surgeons perform with competence and care, there exists a troubling pattern where…
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Heart attack survivor from County Durham speaks out after online abuse
Stigma and online abuse: a heart attack survivor’s experience Louise McGill, a resident of Waterhouses in County Durham, has joined a growing chorus of voices calling for greater understanding of cardiovascular disease. After suffering a heart attack, Louise chose to share her story publicly to help others and to highlight the ongoing stigma that people…
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A Plan for the Year Ahead: Living with Sickle Cell Disease
Introduction: Reading the year with clarity The year ahead feels like a long stretch of unwrapped gifts. Some days are bright boxes with bows; others are wrinkled wrapping paper hiding something unexpected. For people living with sickle cell disease, this metaphor isn’t just poetic — it mirrors real-life planning. Knowledge, routines, and flexibility become the…
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A Sibling’s Stance: My 45-Year Standby Against Pancreatic Cancer
When Diagnosis Shatters the Quiet Thirty years ago, a quiet life on the West Coast was interrupted by a devastating message: my brother had pancreatic cancer. At the time, I was a postdoc in neurobiology, focused on the brain’s mysteries, yet the news pulled me into a different frontier—one where hope was often measured in…
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Cancer, a Brother Lost, and the Long Fight for Hope: A West Coast Research Journey
Introduction: A Personal Toll and a Call for Progress When a loved one is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the news can feel like a countdown with no clear end. My brother’s illness arrived when I was a postdoctoral researcher in neurobiology, stationed on the West Coast near the University of California. The diagnosis changed more…
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Roughlee Woman Raffles Home to Fund German Cancer Treatment for Oligodendroglioma Patient
Roughlee Woman Raffles Home to Fund German Cancer Treatment In a bid to access potentially life-changing treatment, Claire Nutter, a 48-year-old resident of Roughlee, has decided to raffle her home to raise funds for German cancer therapy. Claire was diagnosed with oligodendroglioma, a slow-growing brain tumour, in 2023. The decision to raffle her home comes…
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Roughlee Woman Raffles Home to Fund German Cancer Treatment
Raffles home to fund life-saving treatment A small community is rallying behind Claire Nutter, a 48-year-old from Roughlee, who has taken an extraordinary step to fight a slow‑growing brain cancer. Diagnosed with oligodendroglioma in 2023, Claire has chosen to raffle her home to raise funds for a German cancer treatment that she believes offers a…
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Alea O’Shea Opens Up About Her Brain Cancer Battle
Alea O’Shea speaks out about her diagnosis and treatment Former Home and Away actress Alea O’Shea has publicly discussed the profound toll of her brain cancer journey, revealing that she was diagnosed just two months ago. At 25, the young actor’s path from diagnosis to treatment has been swift and daunting, highlighting the brutal reality…
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When a Misdiagnosis Shifts a Family’s Future: From Carpal Tunnel to Motor Neurone Disease
From Misdiagnosis to Reality: A Family’s Wake-Up Call In medical headlines, a misdiagnosis can be a momentary error. In everyday life, it can become a doorway to a new, harsher truth. This is the story of a parent who believed his numb hands were simply a common carpal tunnel case, only to learn they were…
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Runcie C.W. Chidebe and the Power of Cancer Support Groups in Nigeria and LMICs
Why Cancer Support Groups Matter in Nigeria and LMICs Runcie C.W. Chidebe, Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE, has long championed patient-centered cancer care in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In discussions that followed a notable publication, Chidebe underscored the transformative role that cancer support groups play in improving outcomes, reducing stigma,…