By: John Naish Sharyn Mackay and John Pattison belong to an extraordinary club – people told they have terminal cancer only for their tumours to disappear inexplicably, to the astonishment of patient and doctor alike. It’s tempting to see these stories as medical miracles. But drug companies are hard on the trail of a more rational answer – that the tumours were ‘killed off’ by the patient’s own immune system – and are developing new therapies to harness this power. Sharyn knew there was something wrong when she began suffering pain in the right side of her stomach in April 2003. She was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour on her kidney, which proved so rare that the doctors at Craigavon Area Hospital in Northern Ireland sent samples of it for examination by specialists in London, Glasgow, and Harvard. Sharyn Mackay with husband William and daughter Olivia. ‘I wasn’t going…

Sometimes a heart attack is not just a heart attack, but the result of spontaneous tearing in the coronary artery wall. The artery wall has three layers and when a tear occurs, blood is able to pass through the innermost layer and become trapped and bulge inward. This narrows or blocks the artery and can cause a heart attack because blood flow cannot reach the heart muscle. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon occurrence, but because it occurs spontaneously, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and get treatment immediately. Dr. Naesha Parks began her journey with SCAD in 2008, just ten days after giving birth to her son. Her doctors discovered that she had a coronary artery dissection which required open heart surgery. Here’s her amazing story: “If you have a young patient who doesn’t show atherosclerosis in the arteries and has symptoms of a…

Medical practitioners have often said that the healing process begins from the will to be healed. Over the years, it has been observed that a good number of people who choose to fight their way through a deadly disease often triumph to the amazement of the doctors, family, and friends. In today’s article, we will be taking a look at the inspiring story of Samantha Bennett as narrated by Christina Heiser in her article “What It’s Like to Survive a Deadly Disease”. When Samantha Bennett was a baby, doctors told her mom she would never be able to walk or write. At just nine months old, Samantha had contracted bacterial meningitis, a rare (and sometimes fatal) disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. Samantha survived—but her body was covered in scars, her face was damaged, and she had to have half of her right foot and a few of…

By: Jennifer Johnson After 30 surgeries, one woman is talking about the medical procedure that literally helped to make her whole again There was a reunion on the third floor of Strong Memorial Hospital in April that many did not think would happen. Many did not think patient Kate Clemont of Webster would live – including some of her doctors. “It was very, very aggressive. I didn’t think she was going to survive,” said URMC plastic surgeon Dr. Derek Bell. Kate is a married mom of two. She was adopted, lost her father to cancer and her son Jack has autism. Kate coaches others through these life scenarios and has done a lot to empower the local autism community. “The Kate that went into hospital was very confident and very independent and very capable,” Kate said. “And the Kate that came out was not the same Kate.” July 4th, 2015:…

By: Sadie Nicholas The four women pictured share a miraculous secret: they were all given a terminal cancer diagnosis and, in some cases, just a matter of weeks to live. Yet years later — against all the odds — they are still here and living life to the full. Here, as they meet for the first time for a special Mail photo shoot, they share their inspirational stories of survival. Jane Plant says the moment she realised she had defeated the disease was six years after her tumor disappeared Jane Plant, is professor of geochemistry at Imperial College, London, and lives in Richmond with her husband Peter Simpson, also a professor. They have three children and six grandchildren. She says: Considering I had been given two months to live 17 years earlier, when my kids were still children themselves, it felt like a remarkable achievement to be holding yet another…

A quick search on the internet reveals countless diseases that affect women in many different ways but most women do not know the first things about these diseases and how to guard against them. In this week’s article, we will be presenting the touching story of a young lady who was diagnosed with Systemic Scleroderma just after her honeymoon. Living with this disease has been without doubt the most challenging time in her life even as her body has begun to take other forms. This brings to reality the pains attached with managing terminal illnesses but it also brings a ray of hope to many women living with these diseases across regions because despite her difficulties, Chanel White stays happy as she smiles for her daily selfies to get her mind off the pains. Here is her story: She suffers from a rare autoimmune disease that is turning her body…

Despite the dreadful experiences of losing loved ones to various types of cancer, there is still a ray of hope with inspiring stories of cancer survivors. One of such stories is that of Lillian Leigh who suffered from lung cancer and has decided to live above the dreaded disease. Here is her story: My name is Lillian, I am 35 years old, married to my husband Peter and we are lucky to have a beautiful three year old daughter Jessica. I am a social justice lawyer and was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2014 just two days after my 34th birthday. I woke up one morning with a sore left shoulder and arm but didn’t think too much of it because the pain went away quickly. The left side of my neck was sore that same day and I felt a small unusual lump sitting just above my collarbone.…