Latest news with #AcuteMyeloidLeukemia
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Devastated mom with cancer says ‘disgusting' wig maker ghosted her after $1,750 hair order — and stole the cash: ‘I really thought that he was going to help me'
This woeful wig maker tangled with the wrong woman. After completing four rounds of chemotherapy, Corrina Walters, a resident of Lancashire currently battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), set out to purchase a wig to help contend with the loss of her hair, and 'gain some confidence and pride in [her] appearance again,' she wrote in a Facebook post. When she still hadn't received the wig almost three months later, she took to social media to warn others looking to commission the cheat. Advertisement 6 Walters also said that due to her treatments, she's had to stop working to prioritize her recovery, and saved up her welfare benefits to purchase the wig. Kennedy News and Media 'Liam Collum is still operating and has knowingly continued to work with cancer patients and take their money, without providing the service he promised to individuals who are already going through turmoil,' she wrote in the same post, in which she detailed her experience. Walters visited Collum, a hair specialist and wig maker, at a hair salon at the recommendation of a friend in March, and after settling on a style, color and length just a few days later, she placed an order for a 20-inch brown wig. The mother-of-three paid $1,755 for the human hair wig, and sent the money via bank transfer. Advertisement Walters claimed that after she sent the payment, she was completely ghosted. After the waiting period exceeded the 6-8 week estimate Collum gave her, she began reaching out to him in hopes of tracking down her pricey wig. 6 Walters was diagnosed with AML five years after she beat breast cancer. Kennedy News and Media 6 Prior to losing her hair, Walters enjoyed styling her hair. Kennedy News and Media One of her children even messaged the wayward wig maker's personal phone number in search of an answer, but even after going back and forth with the supposed hair expert, Walters was still left in want of her wig — and a refund, which Collum refused her. 6 The wigmaker was not pleased about his phone number being handed out. Kennedy News and Media 6 Walters still has not received the wig. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement However, because she wired the payment to the supposed swindler, her bank was able to recover her money. After she had washed her hands of the wig maker, Walters decided to publicly share her experience, hoping to prevent any future scams. 'He knew I was in between treatments because he wished me good luck for my next round of treatment. It's evil,' she told Kennedy News. 'It's bad enough having the cancer.' Walters said that she does have a few synthetic wigs — which are known to cause irritation and can look unnatural, according to some users — but added that she was especially excited for the custom human-hair wig because she wanted to curl her own hair, which she thought would help her 'feel normal again after everything.' Advertisement After the exchange went public, the wig maker took to Facebook to make a post of his own. 6 'When I first realized what had happened, I felt stupid for believing him because I really thought that he was going to help me on my road to feeling normal again,' Walters said about the scam. Kennedy News and Media He shared that due to several overwhelming personal issues, he was unable to respond to clients or attend to his business. 'I should have shown more respect and been open and honest. I am not sharing this information for sympathy but to offer an explanation for my silence,' he added. 'I recognize the position of many of my clients and know that my behaviour regardless of my personal situation is unacceptable.' For many, choosing a wig can be extraordinarily difficult — especially when it comes to finding human-hair pieces that look natural and don't run buyers thousands of dollars. Though Walters said she was devastated to have wasted precious time and energy on the hair hoax, she was glad her post reached a large audience, hopefully preventing any additional cons. 'It's disgusting what he's doing. There have been so many women now that have messaged me and commented saying that he's done the same to them and he just can't keep getting away with it,' she said.
IOL News
17-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Annah Kgobe's fight for her son Amogelang's life amid leukemia battle
Amogelng Kgobe appears brave as he fights leukemia. Image: Supplied Amogelang Kgobe, 9, from Pretoria, is bravely facing a relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) — just months after completing his treatment. His strength and quiet faith have united people across South Africa and beyond, as donors rally behind a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign launched by his mother, Annah Kgobe. Originally from the small village of Botlokwa in Polokwane, Amo, as he is known, is a quiet and gentle soul with a love for soccer and a deep connection to his faith. 'He likes being in charge and control of things. He really has a strong personality and a strong spirit. As young as he is, his faith is so unshakable — it amazes me every day,' his mother said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Since his initial diagnosis in August last year, Amo has shown resilience beyond his years. While treatment has brought many challenges, he finds comfort in his family, especially his older brother, 13, and younger brother, 3. He also finds joy in the simple moments, like outings for ice cream or time together at church. 'We are the most close-knit family one could ever ask for. There is nothing we love more than spending time together, especially in the house of the Lord,' his mother said. However, their lives changed dramatically when Amo relapsed in May this year. The family's only hope now lies in a bone marrow transplant, with his father currently identified as a 50% match. While this brings some comfort, the financial strain has grown heavier since his father lost his job in March, making it difficult to afford the ongoing hospital visits, tests, and medications. Determined to help her son get the life-saving care he needs, Annah launched a heartfelt campaign on BackaBuddy in June to raise funds for his transplant. 'After receiving news of him relapsing, my world turned upside down. But then I remembered who my life redeemer is — the one who created heaven and earth.' Her words on the campaign page echo the strength and hope that carry their family forward: 'We humbly ask for your generosity. Your contribution, no matter the size, can make a profound difference in his fight against cancer.' So far, the campaign has raised over R51,000 towards their R250,000 goal, with support pouring in from 176 generous donors. Every donation, every message of encouragement has helped restore the family's hope. 'To everyone who has supported us, we will forever be grateful. Your generosity really means so much to us — and to our beautiful Amogelang too.' Thanks to this growing circle of support, the Kgobe family no longer feels alone in their fight. 'Together, we can bring hope and healing to Amogelang,' his grateful mother said. Amo's journey also sheds light on the desperate need for more bone marrow donors in South Africa. zelda venter@
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Invivoscribe Expands Flow Cytometry Services to Accelerate CAR-T Immunotherapy Development and Regulatory Readiness with the Initiation of CERo Therapeutics Phase 1 Clinical Trial
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Invivoscribe Inc., a global leader in precision diagnostics and measurable residual disease (MRD) testing, is proud to support CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., an innovative immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms. Through this collaboration, LabPMM (Invivoscribe's global reference laboratories) have customized their multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) services and implemented their sensitive MFC AML MRD assay to support CERo's clinical trial of its lead compound, CER-1236. The trial targets Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in patients who are relapsed/refractory, in remission with MRD, or newly diagnosed with TP53-mutated MDS/AML. AML is an aggressive blood cancer characterized by the rapid accumulation of abnormal myeloid cells in the bone marrow and blood, disrupting normal hematopoiesis. 1 Treating AML is especially complex due to its genetic heterogeneity and the high risk of relapse. CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cells) and Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T-cells ('CER-T') therapies, which involve engineering a patient's own T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells, have shown promise in other hematologic malignancies and are now being explored for AML. However, because these therapies are manufactured from patient-derived cells, it's critical to confirm that leukemic blasts are not inadvertently included in the final therapeutic product – underscoring the need for sensitive, validated assays like those offered by Invivoscribe and its global accredited regional laboratories, LabPMM. LabPMM's CAP/CLIA-Validated AML MRD MFC assay, which was designed to quantify residual leukemic cells in patients undergoing treatment, was customized to meet two critical needs in CERo's drug development program: (1) assessing the purity of the manufactured T-cell product by detecting residual AML blasts prior to infusion, and (2) evaluating therapeutic response to CER-1236 during the trial. Kristen Pierce, Ph.D., CERo Chief Development Officer, commented, 'Invivoscribe has played an integral role in the execution of this clinical trial. Its technology and expertise have facilitated our advancement into the clinic by helping to ensure the purity of our investigational product, and now we are reaping the benefits of our collaboration as the trial is underway and we seek to assess therapeutic response.' This collaborative effort was instrumental in advancing CER-1236, which recently received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of AML 2. The designation highlights the growing urgency of integrated diagnostic support in the advancement of personalized immunotherapies and reflects Invivoscribe's commitment to driving innovation and standardization across the oncology treatment landscape – now helping bring immunotherapies to patients faster. For more information about LabPMM's flow cytometry and molecular testing services, please visit or contact us at inquiry@ and follow us on LinkedIn. About Invivoscribe Inc. Invivoscribe ® is a global, vertically integrated biotechnology company dedicated to Improving Lives with Precision Diagnostics ®. For thirty years, Invivoscribe has improved the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. Invivoscribe has a successful track record of partnerships with pharmaceutical companies interested in clinical trial testing via our global lab network located in the U.S., Germany, Japan and China, and in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, with our rigorous expertise in both regulatory and laboratory services. Providing distributable kits, as well as clinical trial services through its globally located clinical lab subsidiaries (LabPMM ®), Invivoscribe is an ideal partner from diagnostic development, through clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and commercialization. About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body's full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells ('CER-T'). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor ('CAR-T') cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo has commenced clinical trials for its lead product candidate CER-1236 for hematological malignancies.
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Four Brave Children. One Shared Dream—To Live Beyond Cancer
Behind the ICU bed curtains and cancer wards in the corridors of hospitals are the tales of young warriors—children fighting cancer with incredible courage. There are four of them among such brave ones—Mallela Varun Kowshik, Sneha Yadav, Sekh Izaz, and baby Shriyaan Kurve. [In frame from left to right: Shriyaan (11 months old); Sekh Izaz (3 years old); Mallela Varun & Sneha (both 9 years old)] [In frame: Varun with his father, who works in a small salon] From karate to cancer, Varun's life took a turn. Just months ago, 9-year-old Varun was unstoppable—a karate champ, a dancer, a child bursting with life and earning medals. Then came the fever. His parents, who run a tiny village salon, initially thought it was dengue. It wasn't. It was blood cancer. Now, walking just a few steps weakens Varun. Chemotherapy has wrecked his body. After the first cycle, his body became infected with pus. By the third cycle, ulcers in his mouth prevent him from eating. Weak from cancer & weaker from relying on a liquid diet, his hair has now fallen out. Now, his parents are out of resources to continue his treatment, but he still needs care. Cancer is cruel. But giving up isn't an option- not for this karate champ! [In frame: Sneha's mother trying to comfort her] Sneha's family left everything behind to save her life 'I want to keep my parents happy. They cry because I'm sick,' says 9-year-old Sneha, whose life has been overtaken by Mixed Phenotypic Acute Leukemia—a rare and aggressive blood cancer. Sneha loves to draw, but after swelling in her body after five rounds of chemotherapy, she can barely hold a pencil. Her family has left everything behind in Betul and come to Delhi for her treatment, desperate to save her. She's braved five rounds of chemotherapy. Now, she needs a bone marrow transplant. Her father is a half-match, ready to save his daughter, but they can't afford the cost. Away from home, helpless in a new city, the Yadav family has no one to turn to. [In frame: Izaz with his parents as he gets treated in the hospital] Little Izaz won the worst of all, only to get sicker Three-year-old Sekh Izaz had already won his battle with cancer. But the victory was short-lived. Today, still at the hospital, he keeps asking his mother, 'When will we go back home? What are these pipes?' With his lungs severely affected, he relies on machines to breathe. Without urgent treatment, at just 3 years old, Izaz might lose his life. His parents, day labourers with empty pockets, are watching their little boy slip away. Extremely worried & helpless, they don't know who to ask for help. [In frame: Little Shriyaan at the hospital, getting treated] Will 'cancer' & 'hospital' be Shriyaan's first words? Instead of toys, 11-year-old Shriyaan's tiny hands grasp onto the ventilator. Still learning to sit & walk, Shriyaan is already fighting for his life. Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, he needs treatment before the cancer spreads further, claiming his life. His mother, Pooja Kurve, says, 'It breaks my heart when I see him holding the ventilator to his nose like it's normal. As parents, we should be taking him to parks, not hospitals, for chemo sessions. We're trying our best, but are struggling to afford the lakhs needed to save our child's life.' —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There is all the love in each of these households, but not much money. Cancer doesn't discriminate, but you can all provide hope. Your donation can pay for a round of chemotherapy, a life-saving transplant or other life-changing treatment. These kids need urgent help. They are not asking for luxuries—they are fighting for their lives and are asking for help to survive. You can alter the direction of their journeys. Your donation can be the reason behind a child's smile, a parent's relief, and a family's hope. Go to today and make your mark. Let's not let cost decide the fate of a child.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hope for AML patients with rare gene mutation
Pune: New and emerging therapies, which cause less collateral damage to normal blood and target specific mutations, are a promising alternative to treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), several oncologists have said. June is AML awareness month. Specialists have begun using ivosidenib, one such drug, that targets AML with IDH mutation, after Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation approved it in May. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune India accounts for the highest number of AML cases after the US and China as per statistics from 2021. Dr Sameer Melinkeri, clinical haematologist at Pune's Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital & Research Centre, said new therapies such as ivosidenib, azacitidine and venetoclax, help precisely target individual mutations in AML. "Ivosidenib is the first targeted therapy developed specifically for AML patients who carry the rare IDH1 gene mutation," said Dr Melinkeri. "It blocks a faulty enzyme—mutant IDH1—that causes the buildup of a harmful substance called 2-hydroxyglutarate in the body. This substance stops blood cells from maturing and spreads cancer cells," the doctor added. He said ivosidenib turns off the cancer-causing switch (mutation) in patients with IDH, a specific gene mutation. By stopping the enzyme, ivosidenib helps blood cells mature normally, reducing cancerous cells and allowing healthy cells to grow. Dr Reshma Puranik, a medical and haemato-oncologist with MOC, Cancer Care and Research Centre said that ivosidenib is a first-in-class, oral, small-molecule inhibitor of the mutant IDH1 enzyme and works well in brain tumors with IDH mutation. In trials, ivosidenib and azacitidine achieved superior outcomes with similar toxicity compared to azacitidine with newly-diagnosed IDH1-mutated AML. "Patients on ivosidenib need to monitor blood counts along with renal and liver function tests, serum electrolytes and QT interval on ECG. Some patients get a minor rash, feel fatigued, have oral mucositis (ulcers) and are at risk of differentiation syndrome," Dr Puranik added. While the new targeted therapies are expensive, more awareness and distributors in the market will bring the cost down, experts say. Dr Shilpa Gupta, consultant haemato-oncologist in a Mumbai-based cancer centre, said, "I have started ivosidenib for a patient and will wait for the results."
