Mum shares heart-wrenching photos to show the ‘reality of childhood cancer’ – Mirror Online

The family of a little girl who was diagnosed with cancer at just 14 months old have released a photo of her undergoing treatment to show the devastating effects of childhood cancer.

Sophia Soto was found to have Stage 4 Neuroblastoma shortly after her first birthday when tumours were discovered behind her eyes and on her kidney.

It began a relentless six month period of treatment, during which brave Sophia endured 60 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 rounds of radiation and a stem cell transplant.

Sophia battled through and has now been in remission for five years, unrecognisable from the girl who appears in the heartbreaking images from March 2014.

Her mum, Rosie, says no one could imagine what her six-year-old daughter, and herself as a parent, have been through looking at her now.

"The picture of Sophia upset really does home in on the reality of childhood cancer," she said.

"She was having a lead put on her chest for her treatment - which she didn't want - hence why Sophia was so upset.

"I look back at the picture now and wonder how I did it; it was so hard watching my little girl so ill."

Rosie, from Florida, became concerned about her young daughter after noticing she was developing bruising around her eyes, which she claims doctors dismissed as a result of a bump or fall.

The mum followed her instincts and continued to search for an answer, taking Sophia to an eye specialist who 'knew straight away' the bruising was being caused by tumours.

Rosie continued: "Sophia kept getting bruising on her eyes and I didn't recall her falling over or anything, so I didn't understand where they were coming from.

"I kept taking her to the doctors because the bruising wasn't going away, but they just said it must have been from a bump or something.

"Sophia wasn't referred for a scan or biopsy until I went to see an eye specialist.

"She was sent for an MRI where black spots appeared on the scans confirming the tumours behind her eyes.

"It was then the biopsy which found the tumours on one of her kidneys as well which led to her stage 4 Neuroblastoma diagnosis."

Following half a year of gruelling treatment, Sophia has been in remission since November 2014 and has now been medication free for two years.

The youngster, who loves to dance and has dreams of becoming a vet, isn't yet classified as 'cancer free' and still requires check ups every six months.

The tumours remain behind Sophia's eyes, which cannot be removed due to their placement, but doctors believe they are benign and not causing harm.

"Doctors are reluctant to remove the tumours Sophia currently has behind her eyes as they've said it would be likely the surgery to disfigure her face," said Rosie.

"Whilst they are tumours, doctors are reasonably confident that they are not cancerous so we have decided to not have the surgery right now, but it may be something she has when she's older.

"No one can imagine what she went through looking at her now - she just looks like a normal regular child.

"Sophia has her moments when she asks about when she was sick and has questions about her treatment scars, but overall she's a pretty happy girl.

"If I was to say anything to other parents with children battling cancer, I'd say to them to not give up, stay positive and keep your faith.

"It's really important not to compare your child's process to anyone else as everyone battles illnesses differently as every situation is different.

"We're over the moon that Sophia is now doing so well - we're really blessed that she's such a fighter."

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Mum shares heart-wrenching photos to show the 'reality of childhood cancer' - Mirror Online

Toddler Bravely Cheats Death After He Survived Rare Cancer And Its Treatment – The Digital Weekly

Hailie and Treylin Hyman saw the bruising on their baby girls leg as a symbol that the active 1-year-old was getting to walk.

But as a blood test would following disclose and reveal, little Maci was suffering from an extremely unusual blood cancer that scared her life outwardly a risky treatment a practice nearly as serious as the disease.

At the start, it was very scary, Hailie Hyman told the reports.

Terrifying periods followed the diagnosis, punctuated by one crucial difficulty after another, starting the Boiling Springs couple to wonder if Maci would remain and survive or not.

The Hymans course started last February at Macis 1-year-old well-child checkup.

We had no clue anything was incorrect, her mom told. But they did a normal (blood test) and a few hours later, we attended a call telling her platelets were very low.

The Hymans was transferred to a hematologist who gained other abnormalities in Macis blood and listed a bone marrow biopsy to examine further.

During the treatment, the child endured an aneurysm in an artery and progressed into cardiac arrest. The medical team gave CPR for 20 minutes before she was steadied, her mom told.

Later, in the Emergency room, she underwent internal bleeding, too.

It was difficult, she told. There were many times that I would just pray and pray and pray.

Initially considering Maci had leukemia, doctors finally discovered she had myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS.

The situation occurs when abnormal cells in the bone marrow leave the patient weak and unable to make adequate blood.

In children, its more uncommon still. Most people are diagnosed in their 70s.

Maci had to produce regular blood transfusions, antibiotics, and other medicines to struggle the MDS, Bryant stated. But the only support for a remedy was a stem cell transplant.

The transplant is very risky.

Its also laden with possibly life-threatening difficulties, including graft vs. host disease, which happens when immune cells from the donor strike the patients body, Bryant told. Other difficulties incorporate permanent kidney damage and gastrointestinal problems.

There were so many moments during her initial months that it appeared like she would not survive, Bryant stated. So the fact that she is here is a miracle.

Macis family got an anonymous donor by the National Marrow Donor Program, participating many individuals to register in the process, Bryant told.

Maci was admitted to MUSC on June 5 and discharged on Oct. 14.

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Toddler Bravely Cheats Death After He Survived Rare Cancer And Its Treatment - The Digital Weekly

Diabetic foot wounds kill millions, but high-tech solutions and teamwork are making a difference – The Conversation US

What if someone told you that theres a disease you could catch where you couldnt feel any symptoms coming on? And that this occurs every 1.2 seconds somewhere in the world?

What if you were stricken with this disease then there would be a 5% chance youd lose a limb within a year and a 50-70% chance youd be dead in five years? What if you were told that this problem cost more than the five most expensive cancers in the U.S. but far less than one one-thousandth of comparative federal and private funding is spent on attacking it?

Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to the humble diabetic foot ulcer. While the problem may strike at the end of the body, far away from the heart or the brain, its effects are far-reaching.

I have spent my career treating and researching the lower extremity complications of diabetes. Based on my research and experience, I believe our society could eliminate immeasurable suffering if we collectively paid more attention to this problem.

OK, I know this isnt a sexy topic. Foot wounds are ugly. Many people who have them are poor. But bear with me. They are a reality for far too many Americans and people across the globe. The ages of these patients are bimodal, in that there is one population of people who are old and getting older. Conversely, with more and more people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes earlier, there is a population that is younger than ever being afflicted with wounds, infections and amputation. Ignoring the problem is an example of ignoring the needs of a silent and vulnerable population.

About 31 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and about half a billion worldwide.

Diabetic foot ulcers develop because people with diabetes slowly lose the gift of pain. Over many years, people with diabetes lose feeling in their extremities. This occurs first and generally most profoundly in their feet.

Once this occurs, people with diabetes might wear a hole in their foot, just as you or I might wear a hole in a sock or shoe. This hole is called a diabetic foot ulcer.

About half the time, the ulcer will become infected. This increases the risk of further tissue damage and, in the face of frequent vascular disease, high-level amputation. Often all of this occurs with few, if any, symptoms until it is too late.

There is also good news. Studies have suggested that high-level amputations seem to decrease when interdisciplinary care is in place, regardless of the country.

Interdisciplinary teams consist of podiatric and vascular surgeons, the so-called Toe and Flow model. The concept is simple; these two specialists, can manage a great deal of the medical, surgical and biomechanical aspects of healing and aftercare.

When we add core physical therapy to this, then the threesome (what we in the field call Toe, Flow and Go) is really quite formidable. For example, our clinics at the University of Southern California and Rancho Los Amigos in Los Angeles have active participation from more than eight specialists ranging from plastic surgery to prosthetics/orthotics, to occupational therapy to nutrition to general practice to infectious disease to diabetology to nurse case management.

Truly, it takes a village to preserve a limb.

It has long been said in wound care that its not what one puts on a wound that heals it, but what one takes off. That maxim is absolutely true in the diabetic foot. Protection of the wound is key.

The gold standard for protecting the wound has been, believe it or not, to put the patient into a special cast. This device works so well because it protects the foot in a process known as offloading, or taking the burden off the foot. By its design, this cast is not easy to remove.

While this has been my personal favorite device to heal these foot wounds, patients dont like it and most doctors dont, either. In fact, fewer than 2% of centers in the country use this as their primary means of offloading. Reasons for this include fear of putting an open wound into a cast (even though the data largely refute this), the time required to apply and remove it and patients being miserable in a hot and heavy device.

Very recently, tech company offshoots have begun to partner with prosthetic/orthotic companies to create next-gen devices that can coax patients into wearing their protective device rather than forcing it upon them. They are using phone calls and a smartwatch.

After focusing on offloading pressure, the next question is what can be done to heal the wound.

Technologies ranging from fancy vacuums, to donated placental tissue, to repurposing blood cells into a dressing to topical oxygen systems have shown recent promise. Active research is being conducted with stem cell sheets consisting of specialized cells seeded on a clear sheet, spread-on skin, and gene therapy.

As challenging as healing the wound heals, the real challenge is whats next. Following healing, 40% of foot wounds will recur in one year, about two-thirds at three years, and nearly three out of four at five years.

At USC, along with colleagues in the National Health Service in the U.K., we have developed remission clinics designed to extend and promote an active life for this high-risk patient population.

This has also been combined with things like smart insoles, socks and home-based bathmats that can identify wounds before they occur. These technologies will likely initially be subscription-based but may expand beyond that.

Diabetic foot ulcers are common, complex and costly. Theyre sinister in that they come on quietly. Perhaps, though, it is now up to us to alert our own families, communities and leaders to this condition. It is, I believe, only by teaming up that we can stem the tide and preserve not only limbs, but extend lifespan, healthspan and hope.

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Diabetic foot wounds kill millions, but high-tech solutions and teamwork are making a difference - The Conversation US

‘My daughter’s death took me to the darkest place, but I’ve learned it’s possible to come back’ – Telegraph.co.uk

No one wants to talk about a dead child, Sheila Appiah says with unnerving calm as she stares into my eyes. Its any parents worst nightmare. I think it makes them frightened that it might happen to them, she explains, with a rueful smile.

People ask questions: How did she get the leukaemia? Did I not feed her the right food? Look, we had a healthy diet. We ate lots of fruits and vegetables. Imogin still got cancer.

We are drinking coffee in the cosy sitting room of the Croydon flat Appiah, now 47, moved into with her only child in 2004. In a telltale sign that this is a family home, the corner shelves display happy snaps of mother and daughter together: the bright eyes, high cheekbones and mischievous smiles mark a striking resemblance between the two.

More unusually, next to these are photos of Imogin with her doctors, Appiah with David Cameron, Imogin with Katie Price, and a handwritten note from the Duchess of York, addressed to Appiah, expressing sympathy at the loss of her daughter. The memories in this room are bittersweet: shortly after they settled into their first proper home, Imogin was diagnosed.

When we moved in, she was pretty feisty, running around, climbingup the sofa, wouldnt stay still, chatty, Appiah recalls with a laugh. Like any toddler, she would help with things; shed stand on a chair to wash plates. We were so, so close.

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'My daughter's death took me to the darkest place, but I've learned it's possible to come back' - Telegraph.co.uk

Ausman family thankful for recoveries, support from family and community – Chippewa Herald

Paul Ausman and Raquel Hoepner-Ausman suffered traumatic brain injuries 16 days apart in April 2017. Two-and-a-half years later, both Paul and Raquel are on the comeback trail.

Paul Ausman was never shy about throwing a curveball during his days as a professional baseball pitcher.

But Ausman and his family have seen more curveballs in recent years than many families see in a lifetime.

After both Paul and his wife suffered significant brain ailments 16 days apart in April 2017, theyve continued battling and two-and-a-half years later they and their family are on the comeback trail.

While their road to recovery is far from over, they move into Thanksgiving improving every day with plenty to be thankful for.

Raquel and Paul's injuries came when their son Andrew (center) was a senior at McDonell. Andrew is now a junior at UW-Eau Claire.

Sixteen days

Raquel Hoepner-Ausman worked at Macys in Oakwood Mall for 26 years until the store closed in March 2017. A month later she collapsed after suffering a brain aneurysm in her familys home in Chippewa Falls and was taken to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire before being airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A little more than two weeks later, Paul was taken to the emergency room at HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Chippewa Falls being before taken to Regions and diagnosed with having a brain tumor the size of a golf ball.

Both Paul and Raquel faced grueling recovery roads as their daughter Nikki lived in the Minneapolis with her family and a full-time job, and their younger son Andrew was finishing his senior year at McDonell.

A day after being admitted into Regions, Paul had a brain biopsy and was diagnosed with Lymphoma of the brain, and on May 4, 2017, had surgery for an enlarged lymph node.

Pauls vocal cord was accidentally nicked during the procedure and he lost his voice and could barely talk. The beginning of the same month, Raquel was transferred to a long-term care hospital in St. Paul and started to relearn to speak, eat and respond to commands.

She was later moved to a nursing home in Bloomer before needing brain surgery less than a year later to repair a blood vessel in her brain and had to start the process of relearning to eat, speak and respond to commands all over again.

Paul was approved for stem cell therapy and underwent his first attempt at a stem cell transplant on Sept. 28, 2017, in Rochester, Minn.

However, less than a month later, Paul was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in both eyes, putting the stem cell transplant on hold while multiple surgeries were performed in both eyes to attempt to remove cancer cells. Follow-up chemotherapy injections into his eyes were performed until the start of the stem cell procedure, which he was able to restart in February 2018.

Paul was discharged from the stem cell transplant hospital on March 27, 2018, one day before Raquel had her brain surgery.

Raquel moved to the Rutledge home in Chippewa Falls in early June, across the street from the Ausman home, where she currently resides and rehabilitates.

Paul continued to receive chemotherapy shots in his eyes to keep the lymphoma in remission and recently has moved to a daily pill. Paul still makes monthly trips to Rochester as his body rebuilds its immune system.

B.A.T.

Paul graduated from Eau Claire Regis High School and was drafted in the 14th round of the 1973 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played in the minor leagues for five seasons with the Brewers and Minnesota Twins, compiling a 2.93 earned run average across 147 games and 276 innings.

He reached as high as AAA with the Twins and nearly cracked the big league roster as the final cut during spring training.

The left hander shared the field with future Hall of Famers such as Robin Yount, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, Rod Carew, Alan Trammel and Bert Blyleven before his career was finished after the 1977 season.

Paul would return to the area and earn his bachelor degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before getting his masters from the University of Iowa.

He worked a number of jobs in the area, most recently as a store manager for the Mega Holiday station near the Family Fare grocery store downtown in Chippewa Falls.

When the Ausman family needed help, it came from a familiar face to the Chippewa Falls baseball community.

In the days and months after Paul and Raquel suffered their initial ailments, medical bills started piling up, as did the stress of figuring out how to take care of the bills. The family researched grants that could help them with their mounting medical costs, but nothing they found would shoulder the load.

Thats when Joe Vavra came into play.

The Chippewa Falls native and longtime MLB coach met Ausman after Vavra was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth round of the 1982 draft.

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How the Packers’ Za’Darius Smith brought joy and awareness to one woman’s cancer fight – The Athletic

Eileen Booker sat in her Southern California home last Sunday night, watching the Packers game like she does every week.

She grew up in Green Bay, and her sister still lives there. Her parents bought season tickets in 1957 and her father never missed a home game. She remembers sticking to frigid metal bleachers as a kid until the clock showed zeroes in the fourth quarter, win or lose, and always burning her lips with hot chocolate.

Still a die-hard fan today, Eileen was glued to her television for a prime-time game between the Packers and 49ers, even as her favorite team trailed, 10-0, early in the second quarter.

She had no idea her name was about to be plastered on TV screens across America.

After Packers outside linebacker ZaDarius Smith sacked 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo deep in 49ers territory, he immediately found the nearest camera and lifted his jersey, revealing a white undershirt that read, WE ...

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How the Packers' Za'Darius Smith brought joy and awareness to one woman's cancer fight - The Athletic

2nd Edition Africa Healthcare Extension Summit And Africa Women’s Health Summit Starts Today In Nairobi – Africa.com

The 2nd Edition Africa Healthcare Extension Summit and Africa Womens Health Summit launches today in Nairobi, Kenya, the leading event is organized by Verve Management UAE, and will be held over two days with participation of government officials from Ministries of Health across Africa, Regulatory Bodies, Healthcare Associations, stakeholders, Doctors, Obstetricians, Gynaecologists, Reproductive Medicine Specialists, Infertility Specialists and all other Medical Professionals.

AHES and AWHS is under the patronage of Ministries of Health Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and being supported by Africa Healthcare Federation, Kenya Healthcare Federation and many more!

Key topics were discussed by industry professionals during the AHES sessions which included Role of Innovation in Augmenting healthcare, Healthcare Financing Systems in Africa, Alternative Forms of Healthcare Partnerships, Medical Devices Management Policy, Innovations & Changes in Cancer Therapy and Improving patient safety & quality in healthcare.

In healthcare, business as usual is not good enough, it will not achieve the goals we have set ourselves. So, we need innovation. But what is innovation exactly and how do we ensure that healthcare innovations have impact? I will be exploring these issues using my experience towards achieving a global impact in the treatment of diarrhoea in children. says, Simon Berry of ColaLife.

Very informative and networked conference that brings decision makers and projects together. An excellent opportunity for participants to understand key healthcare issues in the region while meeting key policy and decision makers. says, Salim Hasham of Health Services International.

AWHS topics includes Interventions in Obesity Management for Women, Current trends in the treatment of Polycrystic Ovary Syndrome, Understanding Endometriosis, Stem cells and other cell-based therapies. AWHS 2019 Eminent Speakers includes: Dr. Maureen Owiti (Kenyatta National Hospital), Dr. Navin Chander Raina (M.P. Shah Hospital), Dr. Elizabeth Gitau (Kenya Medical Association), Dr. Elizabeth Nakiyingi (Womens Hospital International and Fertility Centre) and many more!

AHES and AWHS 2019 is also grateful to this years sponsors: Varian Medical Systems, Vezeeta, Adwia, Boston Scientific, Renata Limited and Sukraa Software Solution.

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2nd Edition Africa Healthcare Extension Summit And Africa Women's Health Summit Starts Today In Nairobi - Africa.com

Thalassemia Treatment Market With Top Countries Data : Analysis and by Recent Trends and Regional Growth Overview Forecast 2026 – News Description

Transparency Market Research (TMR)has published a new report titled, Thalassemia Treatment Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026.According to the report, theglobal thalassemia treatment marketwas valued at US$ 842.0 Mn in 2017 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2018 to 2026. Increase in R&D investment by key players for developing new drugs for treating thalassemia and rise in demand for chelating therapy are anticipated to fuel the growth of the global market from 2018 to 2026. Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa are expected to dominate the global market owing to increase in prevalence of thalassemia disorder and high adoption of chelation therapy & blood transfusion for treatment by doctors as well as patients. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Growth of the market in the region is attributed to large base of private clinics and hospitals, rise in number of thalassemia population requiring chelation therapy services after spleen surgery, and surge in adoption of blood transfusion among patients. The thalassemia treatment market in Latin America is likely to expand at a moderate growth rate during the forecast period.

Value Added Features in Thalassemia Treatments to Propel Global Market

The global thalassemia treatment market is projected to be driven by value added features offered by various thalassemia drug manufacturing companies in order to streamline the day to day work flow and increase revenue. The thalassemia treatment provides limited range of features and benefits ranging from patient pain heeling remedies to treatment procedures. For instance, very less number of people go for the much beneficial chelation therapy. These features help physicians and nurses to streamline the chelation therapy required for patients to maintain their daily workflow efficiently and effectively. Key players offering thalassemia treatment are coming up with value added features such as bone marrow transplantation, stem cell regeneration, gene editing methodologies, and effective modality features used for drug manufacturing along with creating a prominent candidate molecule for drugs. These features can reduce the overall operating cost and improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of treatment practices. Companies are focusing on the development of combined drug therapy in their system to effectively integrate chelating therapy or other treatment procedure at an affordable cost. These value added features save time for physicians and help improve thalassemia patient survival performance.

Chelation Therapy to be Highly Lucrative Segment

Traditionally, blood transfusion based on type of thalassemia treatment was the most commonly used procedure among thalassemia patients. This treatment type was associated with availability of donor and cost of treatment procedure. Moreover, chelation therapy based on thalassemia treatment are priced on perpetual license model and are expensive. Chelation therapy treatment enables patients to practice intensive therapy to treat acute iron overload leading to 90% recovery among thalassemia patients. These chelation therapy based treatments address specific challenges faced during the treatment procedure. The chelation therapy treatment facilitates benefits such as pain relief, and increase in motion of blood flow among patients.

Request a PDF Brochure For the Thalassemia Treatment Market Report @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=44462

Asia Pacific Presents Significant Opportunities

North America and Europe accounted for major share of the global thalassemia treatment market in 2017 and are likely to gain market shares by 2026. High rate of immigration from tropical regions, increasing health care budgets by governments, and government initiatives to promote thalassemia treatment technique contributed to the leading share of these regions. Asia Pacific is projected to be the most attractive market for thalassemia treatment, with highest attractiveness index. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a high CAGR of 9% during the forecast period due to large number of thalassemia patients opting for chelation therapy in developing countries such as India and China. Well-established health care facilities, medical tourism for treatment of thalassemia, and high adoption of blood transfusion safety technique in countries such as Turkey and GCC Countries are likely to drive the market in Middle East & Africa. The market in Latin America is poised to expand at a moderate growth rate during the forecast period.

Trend of R&D among Leading Players to Increase Geographic Presence

The report also provides profiles of leading players operating in the global thalassemia treatment market. bluebird bio, Inc., Acceleron Pharma, Inc., Novartis AG, Celgene Corporation, and Shire plc (Takeda Pharmaceuticals) are the leading players operating in the global market. Companies operating in the thalassemia treatment market aim to increase geographic presence and research & development through strategic acquisitions and collaborations with leading players in respective domains and region. In December 2017, Shire plc committed to pay approximately US$ 1,409.9 Mn to contract vendors for administering and executing clinical trials. Other prominent players operating in the global thalassemia treatment include Incyte Corporation, Kiadis Pharma, Gamida Cell, Celgene Corporation, and Bellicum Pharmaceuticals.

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Thalassemia Treatment Market With Top Countries Data : Analysis and by Recent Trends and Regional Growth Overview Forecast 2026 - News Description