A desperate plea

peteclaffey

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Apr 30, 2006
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My name is Peter Claffey , I spend a lot of time here in Costambar .Puerta Plata ,DR, with my long term Domincan girlfriend. My ladyfriend has a 15 yr old daughter, who is beautiful inside and out , loves school and is very serious in her studies ,her name is Anaise, a little girl to whom I am very attatched emotionally.Anaise was recently diagnosed as having Osteosarcoma. this is a very aggressive form of cancer.Anaise has been advised by the doctor in Santiago and a second dotor in Puero Plata to have her right leg amputised and undergo chemo therapy, as any one who is a parent will understand has caused great distress here, I have looked at the chances of getting her into St .Jude Memphiss , where they may have been able to remove the section of tibia affected an d do a bone graft , but they sat at this time they are unable to accomadate.I live a lot of time here and have private insurance for myself and my partner , but stupidly I did not have it for Anaise.My pledge is to continue doing whatever i can for Anaise, i live on my disability allowance from the U.k and as such i have a limited income , I am willing to spend my last peso for this child I am looking and begging for any advice , financially , emotionanly , any medical advice, support through prayer, absolutely anything .At the present time Anaise is having herbal treatment , Anaise and her mum , are clutching at the hope that this will save her , but i worry that after what the other 2 doctors advised about immediate amputation the tumour will be growing with a greater chance of spreading to other parts of her body.Please if any body can advise or help Iwould be eternally grateful , I can assure everybody that this is a genuine appeal , I am not sure how this forum operates , but I can assure everybody that I will willingly give more information etc , or communicate be e_mail , my address being peteclaffey@aol.com. Thanks in anticipation
 

M.A.R.

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Feb 18, 2006
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Wow that's a sad story, I pray to God you find the right people who will help you and your family find the ways to make your daughter healthy again.
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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You should take her to Cuba. I don't think a visa is needed but maybe that can be expedited.

The doctors there are top-notch and would be a faster alternative than trying to get her to the states or the UK for treatment.

Contact the cuban embassy in Santo Domingo if you need the visa for her. As a UK expat you can come and go as you please but it may be different for her.

And do not call-go in person. You will have to wait until Tuesday to do this but do not delay. You should be there next Tuesday first thing in the morning.
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Maybe look into clinical trials for osteosarcoma?
Clinical trials : Cancerbackup
Contact Ms Anne Holliday, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Cancer Division, 222 Euston Road, London UK, NW1 2DA. Tel: 0207 670 4747 (+ code out of DR & into UK). Email: euramos@ctu.mrc.ac.uk
Details of trial
Treatment after surgery for children with osteosarcoma (Euramos 1 trial).

And contact Ian Worthington, UK Ambassador in DR to see if they have access to any charitable funding for this sort of need (in case clinical trial above doesn't work out).
UK Embassies Overseas*Foreign & Commonwealth Office
 
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Lambada

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I don't know how to put this tactfully so I'll just put it: are you absolutely certain about 1) the diagnosis and 2) the need for instant action? Or is it worth getting another opinion?
 

peteclaffey

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Apr 30, 2006
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i understand your question unfortunately the diagnosis is 100% certain , i am in possesion of all the medical records , including mri scans, doctors reports etc , it has cost a lot of money to get this far, instant action is the advice of 3 doctors, but my lady is clinging to hope of alternative doctor who practises with herbs , I am in a bad postion as i cant force her to take the advice and prognosis given to her, she does not see the other herbal doctor for anothet crucial 3 weeks
 

DOMINCAN BOY

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Jun 6, 2006
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Very sad can the red cross help, or can you bring her to the UK? my step son is from the D/R he have been in the UK 3 year,s he had to have his right leg amputated he speaks spanish and english if the worst comes to the worst he would be willing to talk to her on M S N VINCE1956
 

Lambada

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Understood. At least try an email to organisation in UK I gave above & to Ambassador - nothing to loose and who knows? Maybe something to gain? When you have time have a look at those links (unless of course you're already familiar with them).
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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Again, I cannot stress this enough-the herbalist is a crock and your wife needs to wake up to the severity of the situation.

I mean really, another three weeks to see an herbalist for such an aggressive cancer?

You have to take the bull by the horns here and make here stop this madness.
 

peteclaffey

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Apr 30, 2006
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Very sad can the red cross help, or can you bring her to the UK? my step son is from the D/R he have been in the UK 3 year,s he had to have his right leg amputated he speaks spanish and english if the worst comes to the worst he would be willing to talk to her on M S N VINCE1956

was the amputation because of the same illness , ? i know it si more common in boys
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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PETE: Youhave to be firm. This herbalist is a crock of shyte!!! You can take that to the bank...

As for treating the cancer, you have to do what you can. Do try and follow Lambada's advice about things in the UK.

Do not tip toe around this. It is not the time.

If you want second opinions, try Clinica Corominas in Santiago. No place else has the experience, except down in Sto. Domingo.

Do not wait.

You have no idea how hard it is for me to write this...

HB
 

sjh

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Jan 1, 2002
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my cousin went to a herbalist for exactly the same cancer.... we buried her about two years ago now. she lasted about 9 months after the original diagnosis.

These herbalists should be tarred and feathered....
 

drloca

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Oct 26, 2004
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In todays times with modern medicine being what it is, these tumours are often successfully resected without the patient losing the limb. I would DEFINATELY get another opinion, what about Clinica Abreu in Santo Domingo?

Also, if you have copies of her imaging studies, may be worthwhile trying to get them reviewed at a paediatric facility abroad if you are able to contact them directly.

I hope and pray that a solution is found and would most certainly stop the herbalist asap.
 

jruane44

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Jul 2, 2004
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Again, I cannot stress this enough-the herbalist is a crock and your wife needs to wake up to the severity of the situation.

I mean really, another three weeks to see an herbalist for such an aggressive cancer?

You have to take the bull by the horns here and make here stop this madness.

This is very good advise. Forget the herbal treatment. Get the best care that you possibly can.
 

Lambada

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I know exactly what you mean , but honestly my shoes are not good ones to be in right now

I don't know if your girlfriend will respond to reason as opposed to emotion, nor if she reads English but going to the websites of renowned cancer centres and clicking on treatment for Osteosarcoma or Osteogenic Sarcoma will show only surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Nowhere but nowhere is herbal treatment recommended. For example:The Royal Marsden Hospital (I'm sure you know of this being British)
Treatment
Children's Cancer Web
Osteosarcoma
Cancer Index
Osteosarcoma FAQ - CancerIndex
Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford
Osteogenic Sarcoma - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital

If you're trying to get your girlfriend to see sense do a yahoo search for Herbal treatment of osteosarcoma. The links which come up are all related to............dogs! I'm not trying to be remotely funny here, just thinking of ways which might 'shock' her into seeing the medics and your point of view rather than the folklore stuff she might believe in.
 

dr james

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Mar 2, 2007
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Pete...

remember what we talked about and I explained to your girl friend....

These conditions do not respond to herbal treatment
Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer.
without the removal and chemo....she will not survive..period.
time is very important....act now
I hope you can explain again to both of them and then go forward with the proceedure. It is the only way in the absence of higher tech bone grafts and then chemotherapy. The bone grafts are not available here.

I wish you and her the best

James Bailes,M.D.
 

peteclaffey

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Dr Jim i agree entirely with you , at one stage they accepted the need for amputation , and indeed were getting counseling fro physcologist, then somebody comes up with the idea of this herbal guy , now they think they have found the miracle cure , now as well as having to worry about the espense involved , I worry about the situation , its very much catch 22,