The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Anger at cancer treatment delay because of Covid
The wife of a man given six months to live after cancer treatment was de layed dur ing the pandemic’s height has spoken of her anger over the decision to call off the procedure.
In 2018, Neil Matheson, 36, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive cancer that begins in the brain, after an optician spotted an abnormality and sent him to hospital.
He went through one course of chemotherapy and medics wanted to try a different variety but he was told earlier in the year the treatment was on hold because of Covid-19.
The tumour grew, and a f ter the de layed chemo therapy was unsuccessful in August,
Neil was told months to live.
The Courier reported earlier this month the family is fundraising £20,000 to pay for private care at a clinic in London, which Neil has recently started.
Wife Emoke is furious about the wait, which could have bought Neil valuable time.
“Cancer does not wait. I am so angry at the decision to delay the treatment. If you give cancer time, it will grow.
“They just left him without treatment for six mon ths , and then afterwards tell us he has the most aggressive cancer.
“I understand calling off non- urgent treatments while hospitals prepare and deal with coronavirus, but you can’t do that with he had six cancer. If we didn’t have the delay, we would have found out earlier that the chemotherapy wouldn’ t work and then we could have tried the private clinic earlier.”
Ne i l star ted new medications about a week ago but it will take a few weeks before the ir effectiveness can be judged. He has also since suffered a stroke.
Emoke said: “He was fine for a while, but on Friday he said he was feeling dizzy in the kitchen and fell. ”
The family moved to Dundee from London in 2015 shortly after the birth of daughter Isabelle.
Emoke, originally from Hungary, said they have been stunned by those who have donated to their GoFundMe page.
“I don’t like asking for help, I person others.
“My mother did a bake sale in Hungary and raised £3,300 for Neil’s treatment.
“That was amazing , especially when you consider the minimum wage there is about half what it is here.”
One of the hardest things Emoke has to deal with is staying strong for their daughter.
She said: “Isabelle talks about the monster in daddy’s head. I am trying to stay strong for her but also be honest with her.”
The Courier asked the Scottish Government if they could do anything to help with Neil’s care in light of the decision to suspend non-urgent treatments but they did not respond. love who being the is helping