Exploring the Future of Prostate Cancer with City of Hope – Curetoday.com

Although one in nine men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in his lifetime, cutting-edge research has allowed more men to live longer or even be cured.

One such program that sheds light on this cause is City of Hopes NoShaver November. The month-long fundraising and awareness campaign urges participants to forego shaving to start a conversation, encourage testing and raise critical funds to continue leading-edge prostate cancer research and promising new therapies conducted at City of Hope.

CURE recently spoke with Dr.Tanya Dorff, a medical oncologist at City of Hope who specializes in prostate cancer, about the campaign, her current work and where she sees the future of prostate cancer treatment shifting in the coming years.

CURE: What led you to City of Hope? What do you do there?Dorff: City of Hope was attractive to me because I am a clinical and translational researcher. The reason I came here was to work with scientists who share what we are seeing in the clinic and who incorporate the latest insights from the scientific discoveries in our laboratories into patient care. There is a real sense of mission and urgency that binds scientists to clinicians at City of Hope in a way that is unique and gratifyingly productive.First and foremost, I take care of patients who remain my central inspiration and raison detre, but I spend part of my time writing and running clinical trials that have real potential to impact how we treat patients in the future how we can do even better in the future than we do today. I lead the genitourinary cancer program, which includes fostering collaborations between the incredible physicians from urology, radiation oncology, radiology and pathology to work together both clinically and in research projects.You are Grammy-winning songwriter and vocal producer Kuk Harrells physician. Can you tell me what it was like to treat him?Kuk is such an incredible gentleman; it has been a pleasure to be part of his care team. His attitude toward treatment was one of diligence, and he has approached his illness as an opportunity for personal growth and for giving back by promoting prostate cancer awareness through his story. It has been inspiring to see him come through what was a lengthy and involved treatment with so much positive energy.How has the field of prostate cancer treatment evolved in recent years?More and more men with prostate cancer can be cured, and the men who cannot be cured with todays treatments are clearly living longer and better. This is thanks to new drug approvals in advanced, resistant prostate cancer but even more so to the application of more intensive therapy earlier in the course of the disease. This has been the biggest paradigm shift in prostate cancer over the last five years: up-front intensification in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer.The next big shift in prostate cancer treatment is just now upon us molecular selection of therapies to individualize prostate cancer treatment. The most imminent example is olaparib (Lynparza), a PARP inhibitor, which worked better than standard treatment in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer whose tumors harbor mutations in DNA repair genes. But the ingenious theranostic approach will be close behind where imaging (scans) show us whether a cancer is expressing a certain target (i.e. PSMA) and if so, a radioactive particle linked to that target is applied (i.e. Lu-177 PMSA).

What are you most hopeful for in cancer treatment in the future?I believe immunotherapy will be the way to durable remission or a cure. Here at City of Hope, we are working hard to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, studying intensive treatments such as CAR-T and bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies, among other approaches. Our scientists are looking at our patients in real time to learn why treatments work or dont work, and how to better engage the immune system. I am very hopeful that these biologic insights will eventually translate into therapeutic success such as we have seen in leukemia with CAR-T and melanoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors.What advice would you offer someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis of their own?One: Play an active role. Ask questions, and if something doesnt sound right or make sense, ask again. It is so important that patients buy into their treatment, understand and feel confident about the treatment plan. No one is perfect, not even the best doctor, and working together as a team will lead to the best success.

Two: Be a squeaky wheel. Patients who communicate symptoms in real time fare better because problems are addressed before they become more serious.

Three: Stay active. Exercise is one of the things that has been shown over and over again to help cancer survivors and cancer patients in various stages. Obviously, a conversation should occur with the treatment physicians to ensure that there are no restrictions but patients who are more active will come through treatment in better shape.

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Exploring the Future of Prostate Cancer with City of Hope - Curetoday.com

Imani Barbarin Coins #PatientsAreNotFaking to Fight Back Against Negative Patient Stereotypes – The Mary Sue

A nurses Tiktok video titled We know when yall are faking went viral on Twitter this weekend for its mocking portrayal of hospital patients. There was immediate backlash, helmed by writer Imani Barbarin (aka Crutches&Spice), who created the hashtag #PatientsAreNotFaking as a response to the video.

The video especially struck a chord with women, bipoc, fat activists, trans and nonbinary folk, and people who live with chronic illness and disabilities. Essentially, any of us who have been disbelieved or ridiculed by doctors due to the inherent medical bias against anyone who isnt a white man. Many of us, myself included, felt compelled to share some of the many instances that doctors and nurses disregarding or disbelieving our symptoms led to extreme medical emergencies.

Of course, because the internet is the internet, D Rose (the nurse at the center of this) has now been doxxed, which forces me to explicitly state that doxxing is bad. Do not doxx. Except maybe Nazis. But really, just please dont. Okay, back to the main issuegetting doctors and nurses to believe us!

This hit especially close to home for me. For ten years I had a fast-growing rash, accompanied by extreme itching and intense nerve pain, encompass almost my entire body. I felt like I was literally on fire 24/7. I spent those ten years (from age 20 to 30, basically my entire adulthood) going from doctor to doctor looking for answers. And while they could tell something was wrong, they refused to believe that I was in as much pain as I said I was in. Instead, they would gather their entire team of nurses and interns into my examination room to gawk at my naked body, whisper to each other that I was some sort of medical marvel, and the shrug and tell me there was nothing they could do. I had to beg for years to get a doctor to even prescribe me something as basic as a high dose cortisone cream.

It wasnt until a large tumor sprouted out of my shoulder/armpit and its subsequent removal and dissection (which even then the surgeon tried to dismiss as a just a keloid) that I finally discovered what was wrongI had a rare form of cutaneous t-cell lymphoma called Mycosis Fungoides. MF is normally a slow-growing easily managed, if incurable, cancer if caught early. Unfortunately because it took a literal decade for my diagnosis, my MF has had time to well, really dig its heels in. Its turned aggressive and resistant to normal methods of treatment. Which means at three years in, and four different clinical trials under my belt, I am now undergoing chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant is in my near-ish future.

Oh, I also have an extreme codeine allergy that doctors and nurses love to ignore which has also almost killed me too! But you get the point. My story, unfortunately, is not uncommon even if my particular type of cancer is.

The hashtag #PatientsAreNotFaking would not have gone viral if it had just been a few bad apples in the medical field ignoring patients. This is a systemic problem and one only made more complicated by the opioid crisisa crisis created by the pharmaceutical companies pushing doctors to overprescribe the highly addictive painkillers, I might add. And while D Rose and others might claim that this was just a joke and a way for nurses to let off steam (dont even get me started on the twerking and her appropriation of black culture, because black women are some of the patients who suffer the most from maltreatment and disbelief by doctors!) its not a laughing matter for the millions of people who have suffered because of this pervasive and harmful stereotype.

(Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Twitter)

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Imani Barbarin Coins #PatientsAreNotFaking to Fight Back Against Negative Patient Stereotypes - The Mary Sue

South Carolina toddler survives rare cancer and the risky procedure used to treat it – USA TODAY

Hailie Hyman holds her daughter Maci, 1, before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

GREENVILLE, S.C.Hailie and Treylin Hyman saw the bruising on their baby girls leg as a sign that the active 1-year-old was learning to walk.

But as a blood test would later reveal, little Maci was actually suffering from an extremely rare blood cancer that threatened her life without a risky treatment - atreatmentalmost as dangerous as the disease.

In the beginning, it was very scary, Hailie Hyman told The Greenville News.

I couldnt think of anything but the bad things, she confessed. It was all about the statistics. And the statistics arent good.

Terrifying months followed the diagnosis, punctuated by one critical complication after another, leaving the Boiling Springs couple to wonder if Maci would survive.

Somehow, though, the blue-eyed toddler pulled through.And now her family is looking forward to a special Thanksgiving with much to be grateful for.

Alyssa Carson is 18 and has a pilot's license: She wants to be in the crew that colonizes Mars

The Hymans journey began last February atMacis 1-year-old well-child checkup.

We had no idea anything was wrong, her mom said.But they did a routine (blood test) and a couple of hours later, we got a call saying her platelets were very low.

The Hymans were referred to a hematologist who found other abnormalities in Macis blood and scheduled a bone marrow biopsy to investigate further.

Hailie Hyman holds her daughter Maci, 1, before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

During the procedure, the child suffered an aneurysm in an artery and went into cardiac arrest. The team performed CPR on her for 20 minutes before she was stabilized, her mom said.

Later, in the pediatric intensive care unit, she suffered internal bleeding, too.

It was really hard, she said. There were many nights that I would just pray and pray and pray.

Initially believing Maci had leukemia, doctors subsequently determined she had myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS.

The condition occurs when abnormal cells in the bone marrow leave the patient unable to make enough blood, according to the American Cancer Society.

Its rare, afflicting as few 10,000 Americans a year, though the actual number is unknown.

Maci Hyman, 1, interacts with hospital staff before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

In children, its rarer still. Most people arediagnosed in their 70s.

We were told that just four out of 1 million children get it every year, Hailie Hyman said.

That made the diagnosis elusive at first, said Dr. Nichole Bryant, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist with Prisma Health-Upstate, formerly Greenville Health System.

Shes the only one Ive seen in my career, she said.

Maci had to have regular blood transfusions, antibiotics and other medications to fight the MDS, Bryant said. But the only hope for a cure was a stem cell transplant at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

When they said that was the only treatment plan for MDS, I of course went to Google, Hailie Hyman said. I read about transplant patients and ...all the complications. It was terrifying. But no matter how many bad things I saw, we had to do it. There is no other option.

The transplantis extremely risky.

Hailie Hyman looks at a fish tank with her daughter Maci, 1, before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

First, high doses of chemotherapy are given to destroy the diseased bone marrow, leaving the patient without an immune system, so fighting infections becomes a challenge. Then healthy donor marrow is infused.

Its also fraught with potentially life-threatening complications, including graft vs. host disease, which occurs when immune cells from the donor attack the patients body, Bryant said. Other complications include permanent kidney damage and gastrointestinal problems.

They have to go to hell and back, she said. But its the only option for long-term survival.

Maci had a really rough start, suffering lots and lots and lots of complications, Bryant said.

Her kidneys failed, so she wound up on dialysis. When she couldnt breathe on her own, she was put on a ventilator. And because she couldnt eat, she had to be tube fed.

Hailie Hyman looks at a fish tank with her daughter Maci, 1, before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

She had blistering sores in her mouth and throughout her GI tract, her mom said. Because her liver wasnt functioning properly, her abdomen filled up with fluid that had to be drained. She was bleeding so profusely in her lungs that one of them collapsed.

Maci, who was sedated through much of it, was put on full life support, she said.

That night we almost lost her, her mom said. We were in the hallway crying our eyes out. We didnt know what do to or think. It was pretty scary for a while.

Somehow, Maci made it.

There were so many times during her first months that it seemed like she would not survive, Bryant said. So the fact that she is here ... is really a miracle.

Macis family found an unrelated donor through the National Marrow Donor Program, enlisting hundreds of other people to join the registry in the process, Bryant said.

Nichole Bryant, M.D.(Photo: Provided)

It was an important part of their journey that maybe didnt directly benefit Maci, she said. But if everybody did that, we wouldnt have difficulty finding a donor for anybody.

Doctors have no explanation for why Maci got MDS. She didnt carry the genetic mutation for it and there is no family history.

She is a rare child - and not in a good way, her mom said, adding,Youve got to laugh sometimes or youre going to cry.

A dying man wanted one last beer with his sons: The moment resonated with thousands

Maci was admitted to MUSC on June 2 and released on Oct. 14.

The Hymans, both 22, spent the entire time in Charlestonwhile Hailies mom cared for their older daughter, Athena, now 2.

Treylins employer held his welding job open for him. And other friends and family members did what they could to help.

We had many, many people very generously donate to us to cover expenses at home and living expenses where we were, Hailie Hyman said.

We are thankful for everyone who helped us through it the cards, the gifts, the donations. Every single cent is greatly appreciated.

Maci's doing well, but recovery from a transplant can take months to years, Bryant said.

Her kidneys are functioning again so she was able to come off dialysis. But she still must take many medications, including anti-rejection drugs that suppress her immune system and leaveher at risk for infection. And she still must be tube fed.

She is miles ahead of where she was two months ago, Bryant said. But she still has a long way to go. Its a long, long road.

Macis mom says she can be up and playing one day and flopped over on the couch another. She still experiences a lot of nausea and vomiting, but is doing well compared to where she was.

Hailie Hyman pulls her daughter Maci, 1, in a wagon in the hallway before an appointment at the Prisma Health Pediatric Hematology Oncology Center Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

So as the nation pauses to give thanks this Thanksgiving, she says the family will be countingtheir many blessings family andfriends, Gods mercy, andthe doctors and nurses who saved Macis life.

She has battled a lot and overcome a lot, she said. I have no doubt she will be able to get through.

Want to know more about becoming a marrow donor? Go to bethematch.org.

Follow Liv Osby on Twitter:@livgnews

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Indiana hospital sued: More than 1,000 patients potentially exposed to HIV or hepatitis

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South Carolina toddler survives rare cancer and the risky procedure used to treat it - USA TODAY

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

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

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