TOTAL NEGLECT
Twin sister slams cancer screening process after brother dies 13 days after diagnosis
THE family of a young man who died just 13 days after being diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer have hit out at his “neglectful lack of care”.
Ryan Brown was found with a 15x12cm mass in his bowel and more evidence of the disease in his liver and lymph nodes.
The 23-year-old’s parents were forced to hear the news of his diagnosis on a FaceTime call on holiday in Tenerife.
His twin Hope, part of the first set of twins born to a liver transplant patient, was by his side at Wishaw General.
Ryan, who was weeks away from graduating from university, was placed into hospice care and died with his family by his side in the early hours of May 14.
Hope, who has lost her only sibling, has hit out at the missed opportunities to diagnose her brother, who had ulcerative colitis since the age of 12.
Patients with the inflammatory condition are at a higher risk of developing cancer – with Ryan’s chances higher still due to family history. y
Hope, 23, from Harthill, Lanarkshire, spoke out to raise awarenesss of ulcerative colitis while e branding Ryan’s lack of testing as “total neglect”.
She said: “We want nt answers, to know why Ryan an wasn’t treated properly.
“Ryan called me on the 1st of May, asking me to go to the hospital because they wanted ted a family member to come in. n.
“Our mum and dad weree in Tenerife so we had them on a FaceTime call. We thought itt was to discuss surgery with him possibly getting a stoma bag. ag.
“So I went in and they toldold us that Ryan had cancer.
“The surgeon that we spokeoke to totally downplayed it. He madeade out that it was just a wee bit of cancer, and he’d get some chemomo and surgery to remove it. We didn’tn’t think it sounded too serious.
“On May 3, his consultantnt came to see him. That’s when he toldold Ryan how serious it actually was. .
“We were told the plansans had changed and he was goingg to go to Monklands Hospital in Airdriedrie to get chemo but wanted to delay operating. By the end of the week, it thenen became clear that he was going to go to the Beatson in Glasgow as they’re the experts and can give him chemo there.
“By Monday the 9th, my mum seemed to have some sort of sixth sense and turned to one of the nurses and said ‘Ryan’s too sick to get chemo isn’t he?’
“She asked if they were ever planning on telling us. But basically no one wanted to tell us because of his age and they didn’t want to upset us.
“They had to get a doctor from the Beatson to talk to us. She came out on the 10th and said there was nothing they could do. It was too late. By the 12th,
It shouldn’t have happened. I’m so annoyed. That’s my twin brother and I’ve lost him
HOPE BROWN
Ryan was moved Ryan was moved to to St Andrews Hospice St Andrews Hospice in Airdrie. From there, he just went downhill. He was so ill and on Friday he was being sick constantly.
“He passed at 1am on the 14th – 13 days after his diagnosis. He never even had a chance. Mum has colitis, had two different types of bowel cancer so they should have been looking for it in Ryan.
“Hers was caught at Stage 1 and she went to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh where they do scopes every two years.
“It was caught really quickly whereas apparently in Lanarkshire, they don’t do it as often. But they should be testing every two years. That should be the
minimum, regardless of age. Ryan’s last scope was in 2017 so he was due one this year but obviously that was far too late.
“I just feel like it shouldn’t have happened. I’m so annoyed about it. That’s my twin brother and I’ve lost him.”
Mum Carol Ann and dad Daryl are planning to submit a formal complaint to NHS Lanarkshire while sister Hope will collect his honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering on his behalf.
Russell Coulthard, NHS Lanarkshire’s deputy director of acute services, said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family. We’d ask the family to get in touch with our patient affairs team at patientaffairs.corporate@lanarkshire.scot. nhs.uk to offer them the opportunity to discuss their concerns.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal plan looks to increase capacity and is backed by £70million.
“We’ve committed a further £20million to our Detect Cancer Early ( DCE) Programme over the parliamentary term.”
Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: “With Ryan having ulcerative colitis and there being a family history of bowel cancer, I agree with his family that he should have had more regular check-ups.”