Cannabis ‘last hope’ as woman starves to death
A rare and debilitating condition is causing a young woman to starve to death, and she believes medicinal cannabis may be her last hope.
Ruby Hill, 23, hasn’t been able to keep food down without vomiting since 2015, due to gastroparesis. She now weighs 35kg. There is no cure for her disease and it has left many medical professionals stumped.
Feeding tubes and pharmaceuticals have not had any effect and Hill said she was told there was nothing more doctors could do. The only thing that really helps ‘‘take the edge off everything’’ is CBD oil, a substance found in cannabis that has little or no psychoactive effects and is available on prescription.
Currently Hill takes CBD oil daily and said her prescription cost her family about $500 per week. ‘‘It’s very expensive here but it’s my only relief – it helps settle my nausea and pain as well as allowing me to have an appetite, get some sleep and not be so anxious. I was discharged from hospital on Friday, to die in the comfort of my own home with my family,’’ Hill said.
Hill’s story began when she was 19. She was fit and healthy and was training to be a pilot in Ardmore, south Auckland, until one day she started to feel sick while eating lunch.
‘‘I was taken to hospital with suspected early on-set appendicitis. They removed my appendix as well as a ruptured cyst on my ovary but I just never recovered.
‘‘After the surgery I was in severe pain and would just vomit whenever I tried to eat something, whether it was solid or fluid it didn’t matter – it wouldn’t stay down.’’
About nine months later she was diagnosed with gastroparesis – a condition where the stomach is unable to empty of food properly. Hill has been researching ways in which she can have a better quality of life and so the idea to fly to Canada for treatment was born. ‘‘In Canada cannabis is a lot more accessible and while CBD isn’t a cure, it’s the best chance I have of living another day.’’
Jo Hill, Ruby’s mum, said she was surprised by how much the CBD oil had helped Hill.
‘‘New Zealand isn’t up and running with cannabis.
‘‘Information and products aren’t readily available here so, for us, going to Canada would give us the option of having more products to try.’’
Hill has one or two clinics in Canada in mind where she could receive out-patient care.
‘‘I’ve always wanted to go to Canada, it’s part of my bucket list, and I feel like at this point everything is just falling into place. It’s given me hope and excitement again.’’
Hill said she’d like to see cannabis legalised in New Zealand as it could help others living with painful illnesses.
‘‘Getting a prescription in New Zealand is really hard, and it’s only offered to patients considered terminal. I want to see legalisation of it going all the way. It’s time to listen to the people who are living through these kinds of illnesses and using cannabis. It should be the right of the patient and I just feel like the stigma around those who use cannabis is ridiculous. I’m using this to save my life.’’
Cannabis referendum
In December, the Government passed new legislation governing medicinal cannabis, which will establish a regulated scheme within a year. The legislation set up a statutory defence which allows those close to death in palliative care to consume illicit marijuana with a legal defence if prosecuted. A referendum on personal cannabis use will be held at the 2020 general election.