This is the terrifying truth about alternative cancer therapies - and what happened when I encountered the 'coaches' peddling the treatments that cost young women like Paloma their lives: LIZ O'RIORDAN
The message, from a stranger on Instagram, absolutely broke me. 'Dear Liz,' it began, 'I need to tell you about a friend with advanced breast cancer. She has spent thousands on restrictive diets and supplements, instead of having surgery and chemotherapy.'
As a former breast surgeon who has had breast cancer three times, I'm used to people telling me about personal medical matters. I now write and speak regularly about the disease, trying to share evidence-based advice and help others navigate the minefield of misinformation online.
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Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Brain-dead Georgia mom's family hold back tears at funeral after she gave birth to baby boy on life support
A brain-dead Georgia mother was laid to rest Saturday by her loved ones who said their final goodbyes just days after she gave birth to a baby boy while on life support. Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse from Atlanta, was declared brain-dead in February when she was eight weeks pregnant, but because of the state's strict anti-abortion laws her medical team kept her artificially alive in an effort to save the fetus. Smith's mother April Newkirk announced her grandson Chance was born prematurely on June 13 - two days before her 31st birthday - by emergency Cesarean section. He weighed about one pound and 13 ounces and is currently in the NICU. Newkirk said the name Chance seemed fitting 'because I feel like he had a second chance at life.' On June 17, Smith was taken off life support. Over the weekend, those who loved Smith gathered together in an emotional church service as her younger sister Naya spoke to the congregation with sadness in her voice. 'I just want to say that I'm thankful for the time that I spent with her. And I'm thankful for everything that she's taught me. Her love, her kindness, her wisdom,' Naya said as her voice trembled. 'And I just pray that she covers me moving forward, and she guides me to make the best decisions. And family meant everything to her so I hope that I can follow in her footsteps.' One of Smith's former nursing school classmates then spoke, sharing a beautiful memory with her and her eldest son Chance from their time at Georgia State University. 'She was a great friend, she was a great person, she was a great nurse,' she said. 'The memory that I will remember of her is us studying on a Saturday on campus. She brought Chase, I brought my son, we had snacks, we had toys, and we sat in that room stressing out over a med surge exam,' Smith's friend said in a somber voice. 'And we promised each other that if we pass this exam and ever became teachers, we would never torture our students this way,' she added, laughing a little. 'We were determined to make it and we did.' A meaningful poem, titled 'A Light That Still Shines,' was also read by a member from the Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard. In it, Smith was called 'a sister of strength who'll never die.' The group also relieved Smith of her duties as a nurse at her service as a member recited the 'final call of duty' in her honor and rang a bell. Many attendees carried white roses in her honor as they exited the church. Chance was born at around 26 weeks - three months early. Doctors had hoped to perform the C-section birth closer to August to give him the best chance at survival. 'He's expected to be OK,' Newkirk told 11 Alive. 'He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He's here now.' She was hospitalized in early February for intense headaches, and doctors found multiple blood clots in her brain, according to her family. Doctors reportedl y attempted surgery to relieve the pressure, but Smith was left brain-dead after the operation. Georgia passed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act in 2019, ruling medical professionals can't perform an abortion if a heartbeat is detected. The law, which did not come into effect until three years later when Roe v Wade was overturned, cited two exceptions in the case of a medical emergency or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. A medical emergency is defined in the law as an event where the abortion was necessary to save a mother's life or 'the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.' Abortions can also be performed if a medical professional believes that the child would be born with a 'chromosomal anomaly' where the baby would die after birth. Smith's case represents a complicated part of the law because an abortion wouldn't save her life, and a heartbeat was already detected in her unborn baby. Newkirk previously expressed the family should have had the choice to terminate Smith's pregnancy. 'She's pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born,' she previously told WXIA. 'This decision should've been left to us. Now we're left wondering what kind of life he'll have—and we're going to be the ones raising him.' Smith's family have gone on to launch a GoFundMe page to help care for Chance and her seven-year-old son Chase. As of Sunday morning, more than $460,000 was raised in their honor.
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I suffer with random heart palpitations but the ECG came back normal... so what could it be? DR ELLIE answers
I have had heart palpitations on and off for some time. I've had an ECG but this didn't reveal anything abnormal. Do I need treatment? Dr Ellie responds: Palpitations involve the heart racing or beating abnormally. Some people may notice a thumping or feel an irregular heartbeat.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
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Srebrenica genocide survivor, 30 years on: 'What's happening in Gaza brings it back'
A survivor of the Srebrenica genocide has detailed how current events in Palestine trigger painful memories. This weekend will see a commemoration marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, aiming to honour the memory of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who were systematically executed in July 1995. Advertisement International courts have recognised what happened as genocide—the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II. Suad Mujkić was just nine years old when the genocide happened, and he explained that the anniversary of it each year makes him feel as though he is back in Srebrenica "on the first day". Speaking to BreakingNews, Mujkić has said that current events in Palestine have triggered painful memories, and have led to physical health problems too. "Still now like when you see the last few months on TV, what's happening in Gaza, like it's coming back a bit," he said. Advertisement I feel like I am with the people. I know what they are going through. "Before this year, I never went to the GP and I never got sick. But last time, my doctor said that my blood pressure was unbelievably high. "Now I'm on medication for the high blood pressure because I was looking at the news. When I see the news, all the memories come back and I remember how hard it was for me, even if I was nine years old. "That's the worst pain for me, when it comes closer to July 11th, I feel more like I'm there on the first day." Memories Mujkić said he can remember his experience in the supposedly safe town of Potocari, even though he was quite young. Advertisement "We used to share a bottle of water between 30-40 people. Then we were in the camp, but they called it a safe zone. I was there for three days and we got like a one-litre bottle of water in a temperature of over 30 or 40 degrees. People had to share, with just one sip of water each. "I remember in the night people, women, children being taken. I remember babies crying, and I remember on the day when we left, they brought us to the buses. "Outside it was 35 degrees, so on the bus, even more. It was unbelievably hot. I remember there was a baby, maybe that was born that night or before. And it was crying, I think maybe hungry or something like that. He was upset. "Because it was really crying, the bus man stopped and he said: 'I will give her food and she will stop crying'. And the mom, even she knew what was going to happen, you know. Advertisement "And they took the baby to bring it outside, and they killed the baby and then brought it back in a blanket. And they told the mom: 'Okay, it's not going to cry anymore. It's not hungry anymore'. Mujkić said his father was separated from the rest of his family, and had to work hard to secure his own safety. "My dad, he had to flee to the woods and try not to be caught by the Serbs. The people who are caught, they tie their hands and put them in the fields and take their t-shirts off. "Then, it means when we are coming from the road, we can see all the Muslim people who are caught during the run. Advertisement "The women, the mothers and sisters recognised like brothers in the field, and they know everyone who was in the fields. There were also fields full of people that are dead, lying down." A thank you to Ireland Mujkić said he has a lot to thank Ireland for, and is grateful that he, his wife, and his children have somewhere safe to live. "I'm happy to be in Ireland, like when I see my kids, they are happy, they're enjoying their life. I couldn't even enjoy my childhood," he said. "Like when you're a kid, you want to be outside and you don't like staying in the house. And when there were grenades, you have to go inside. You can't attend the school. You don't eat properly. "But when I see now, when I see my kids, I'm proud to be here and I'm super thankful to Ireland for what they did, what they gave us. "Even for my wife. My wife has been living here longer because of her dad. He was also in a campus like, and then the Red Cross, they brought him in 1995 or 96 to Ireland." The Bosnia-Herzegovina Association of Ireland (BHAI) and the Bosnian Cultural Centre of Ireland (BCCI) will spotlight the experiences of those affected by the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with some having personally experienced the horrors of Srebrenica, like Suad Mujkić. Photo: Getty The event marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide will take place on Sunday, June 29th, from 1pm to 4pm at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown Town Centre, Dublin 15. The commemoration will include testimonies from survivors now living in Ireland, poetry readings, a prayer, cultural performances, and a minute's silence. Government officials, diplomatic representatives, community leaders, and members of the public are invited to attend in solidarity with the Bosnian community, which has been an integral part of Irish society since the refugee resettlement program of the early 1990s. Chair of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Association of Ireland, Mirza Catibusic, said:"Three decades after Srebrenica, it remains essential that we remember, reflect, and recommit ourselves to the principles of peace and human dignity. "This commemoration not only honours the victims but also reinforces our collective responsibility to prevent such atrocities from happening again anywhere in the world." Ireland has demonstrated consistent support for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with official recognition of the genocide by government ministers and parliamentary debates in both the Dáil and Seanad. "The lessons of Srebrenica remain profoundly relevant today as we confront genocide denial, increasing polarisation, rising racism, and Islamophobia across Europe," added Catibusic. "By coming together in remembrance, we affirm our commitment to truth, justice, and a more inclusive society."
