Latest news with #throatcancer
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
81-year-old lives in car parked outside of dilapidated South Memphis home
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An 81-year-old South Memphis woman has fallen on hard times and needs help. One of her neighbors called WREG to inform us that the woman was living in her car in the driveway of her dilapidated home. Christine Marshall, 81, is hoping people can come together and help her out. If you drive along South Parkway West in South Memphis, you will see a dilapidated blue house with a Hyundai sedan in the driveway, that's where you'll find Marshall, who neighbors call, 'Mama.' She is non-verbal and communicates with a pen and notepad. She wrote to WREG that she has throat cancer. Mama told WREG she had lived in the home for 30 years, until a neighbor's tree that extended over her roof for years, later collapsed, leaving permanent damage to her home. Insurance will not fix it, and the home is now unlivable, so Mama has slept in her car for the last three years. Darron Rivers, who lives in the neighborhood and gives Mama water bottles and ice cubes to stay cool, says this can't go on. 'This don't make no sense, the tree must have fell on it, and didn't nobody do nothing but put this rag on top, cause last year when I looked at it during the winter, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense,' said Darron Rivers, neighbor. 'And it's hot out here, and her house is falling in, she's sleeping in her car, ain't nobody around here paying her no attention, you've got four churches over here that does what? Nothing!' said Rivers. A GoFundMe has been set up to help Christine Marshall. Friday, Christine Marshall's son, who set up the GoFundMe account, posted the following update: 'I want to thank the city of Memphis and the people from out of state for putting their arm around me and showing that they have love for me. I didn't realize so many people cared. When you do right by people right follows you everywhere you go and I tried to do that all my life thank you and God bless you.' Antoine Hardin Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Sky News
15-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
'My voice box was removed after NHS missed my throat cancer'
Steve Barton is angry, and he has every right to be. The 68-year-old retired engineer stares at his medical notes that, he says, expose in black and white the moment his life changed forever. "I have somehow missed… due to my mistake," a doctor writes in one of the notes, after it became apparent that Mr Barton had not been urgently referred to specialists over what later became an aggressive form of throat cancer. Steve now has a prosthetic voice box and is one of many British patients fighting medical negligence claims after being misdiagnosed. NHS officials in Scotland are dealing with thousands of cases annually. Meanwhile, Westminster's Public Affairs Committee (PAC) recently disclosed England's Department of Health and Social Care has set aside £58.2bn to settle clinical lawsuits arising before 2024. Mr Barton, who lives in Alloa near Stirling, repeatedly contacted his doctors after he began struggling with his breathing, speaking and swallowing. His concerns were recorded by the NHS as sinus issues. As panic grew and his voice became weaker, Mr Barton paid to see a private consultant who revealed the devastating news that a massive tumour had grown on his larynx and required part of his throat to be removed immediately. "I am angry, I am upset, I don't want anyone else to go through this," Mr Barton told Sky News. "There were at least four, possibly five, conversations on the phone. He [the doctor] said to me that it sounds like I've got reflux." 'He was palmed off' Mr Barton is now unable to work and cannot shower by himself because if water enters the hole in his neck, he could drown. And a windy day can cause a debilitating coughing fit if a gust catches his prosthetic voice box. Asked if he believes this was avoidable, Mr Barton replied: "Absolutely. 100%." His wife, Heather, told Sky News: "He hates this. You see him crying. It breaks my heart. It's been hard emotionally." She added: "Everybody knows their own body. He was palmed off and the consequence is a neck dissection. It [life] changed overnight." Legal battle over compensation The Barton family have been locked in a legal battle over their ordeal with the Medical and Dental Defence Union Scotland (MDDUS) - a body which indemnifies GPs. It has not admitted formal liability in this case but has agreed to settle financial compensation to Mr Barton. Izabela Wosiak, a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell who represents the Bartons, said: "Cases like Steve's are complex and usually quite difficult, but solicitors have accepted there was no defence to this case. "They have arranged to make an interim payment; however we are still in the process of negotiating final settlement." A MDDUS spokeswoman refused to comment while talks are being finalised. What is the scale of medical negligence in Britain? The NHS in Scotland is under the devolved control of the Scottish government. Figures suggest there were almost 14,000 clinical negligence claims and incidents in 2023/24, an increase on the previous year. It comes as PAC warned that the total liabilities in England's health service has hit £58.2bn. PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP told Sky News: "I extend my sympathies to Steve and his family. Unfortunately, he is not alone. "Some are really heart-wrenching tales. Every single claim somebody is involved, someone has been in some way injured, so this is a terrible thing. "We are going to be working on how we can make the whole system less litigious and get compensation paid out quickly because if the state does harm to somebody, the least they could do is to compensate them as quickly as possible." Paul Whiteing, the chief executive of patient safety charity Action Against Medical Accidents, told Sky News: "The NHS itself last year [in England] paid out just over £5bn in compensational set aside money for compensation that it would need to pay out. "It's a huge cost and of course that doesn't speak to the cost to every individual, every family, every person who is impacted by the consequences of some form of medical accident and the trauma that can go with that."
Sky News
13-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
'My voice box was removed after the NHS missed my throat cancer'
Steve Barton is angry, and he has every right to be. The 68-year-old retired engineer stares at his medical notes that, he says, expose in black and white the moment his life changed forever. "I have somehow missed… due to my mistake," a doctor writes in one of the notes, after it became apparent that Mr Barton had not been urgently referred to specialists over what later became an aggressive form of throat cancer. Steve now has a prosthetic voice box and is one of many British patients fighting medical negligence claims after being misdiagnosed. NHS officials in Scotland are dealing with thousands of cases annually. Meanwhile, Westminster's Public Affairs Committee (PAC) recently disclosed England's Department of Health and Social Care has set aside £58.2bn to settle clinical lawsuits arising before 2024. Mr Barton, who lives in Alloa near Stirling, repeatedly contacted his doctors after he began struggling with his breathing, speaking and swallowing. His concerns were recorded by the NHS as sinus issues. As panic grew and his voice became weaker, Mr Barton paid to see a private consultant who revealed the devastating news that a massive tumour had grown on his larynx and required part of his throat to be removed immediately. "I am angry, I am upset, I don't want anyone else to go through this," Mr Barton told Sky News. "There were at least four, possibly five, conversations on the phone. He [the doctor] said to me that it sounds like I've got reflux." 'He was palmed off' Mr Barton is now unable to work and cannot shower by himself because if water enters the hole in his neck, he could drown. And a windy day can cause a debilitating coughing fit if a gust catches his prosthetic voice box. Asked if he believes this was avoidable, Mr Barton replied: "Absolutely. 100%." His wife, Heather, told Sky News: "He hates this. You see him crying. It breaks my heart. It's been hard emotionally." She added: "Everybody knows their own body. He was palmed off and the consequence is a neck dissection. It [life] changed overnight." Legal battle over compensation The Barton family have been locked in a legal battle over their ordeal with the Medical and Dental Defence Union Scotland (MDDUS) - a body which indemnifies GPs. It has not admitted formal liability in this case but has agreed to settle financial compensation to Mr Barton. Izabela Wosiak, a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell who represents the Bartons, said: "Cases like Steve's are complex and usually quite difficult, but solicitors have accepted there was no defence to this case. "They have arranged to make an interim payment; however we are still in the process of negotiating final settlement." A MDDUS spokeswoman refused to comment while talks are being finalised. What is the scale of medical negligence in Britain? The NHS in Scotland is under the devolved control of the Scottish government. Figures suggest there were almost 14,000 clinical negligence claims and incidents in 2023/24, an increase on the previous year. It comes as PAC warned that the total liabilities in England's health service has hit £58.2bn. PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP told Sky News: "I extend my sympathies to Steve and his family. Unfortunately, he is not alone. "Some are really heart-wrenching tales. Every single claim somebody is involved, someone has been in some way injured, so this is a terrible thing. "We are going to be working on how we can make the whole system less litigious and get compensation paid out quickly because if the state does harm to somebody, the least they could do is to compensate them as quickly as possible." Paul Whiteing, the chief executive of patient safety charity Action Against Medical Accidents, told Sky News: "The NHS itself last year [in England] paid out just over £5bn in compensational set aside money for compensation that it would need to pay out. "It's a huge cost and of course that doesn't speak to the cost to every individual, every family, every person who is impacted by the consequences of some form of medical accident and the trauma that can go with that."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The hidden tax for those living outside Australian capital cities: 'A big strain'
An Australian business owner who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive type of throat cancer is calling for better accessibility to healthcare for those living outside the nation's major cities, and greater awareness when it comes to treatment plans and insurance. Phil Leahy, from Port Douglas in Queensland's far north, was diagnosed with p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) earlier this year. It's a type of throat cancer that typically starts in the tonsils or base of the tongue and is commonly linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). The Queenslander was forced to leave his home and relocate to Brisbane to embark on an eight-week treatment plan that involves both radiation and chemotherapy. Phil founded his own business MedCart five years ago — a marketplace for medical, healthcare and pharmacy supplies — but was forced to take a major step back when he received his diagnosis. His wife Annabel has taken over the reins from Phil as CEO while he's out of action, and, since falling ill, has also become the primary caretaker of the home. Speaking to Yahoo News, Phil said that because their property is located within a rainforest, it requires regular maintenance, meaning Annabel isn't able to join him in Brisbane for treatment. He said between the cost of travelling back and forth, paying for everyday expenses — including food and transport — and the emotional toll of being separated from your partner, Australians living regionally face a much tougher challenge when it comes to accessing life-saving healthcare. "Because Cairns doesn't offer dual treatment of chemo and radiation, I was forced to go to Brisbane," he said. "So in Far North Queensland, we're at a disadvantage there. And then you've got to think about all those extra costs of going interstate. "There's the accommodation challenge. We were lucky to get an Airbnb that was quite cheap — I think it was $70 a night. But it can be anywhere from $200 a night to $335 or $400 a night for a 49-night stay. My wife is acting as CEO, she's got to manage the house and also the business without me there, so it's a big strain." Phil said he initially opted for private care, thinking it would offer better flexibility and access. But he was surprised to learn that public hospital admission could have covered nearly all his treatment and support, something he only discovered after experiencing substantial out-of-pocket expenses. "I'm 60 years old, and I've been paying for private healthcare from the age of 18 — and I've been thinking twice about that now, if I could roll that back — it's very expensive." Australia records highest rates of 'aggressive' cancer in the world Risky activity Gen Z admit they love despite dire warning Aussie family's remarkable bravery after baby girl's tragic diagnosis With private health insurance in Australia, patients can choose their own hospital and specialist and may avoid long public waitlists. But many costs still aren't fully covered. As an outpatient staying nearby during treatment, Phil had to cover expenses like accommodation, meals, transport, and medications out of pocket, despite having paid for private health insurance for decades. In contrast, the public healthcare system offers broader coverage if you're admitted as a public patient in a public hospital. Under Medicare, most hospital-based treatments — including accommodation, chemotherapy, radiation, and medications — are fully covered. Phil later realised that had he gone through the public system and been admitted to a hospital, the majority of his expenses may have been taken care of. He believes many regional Australians aren't fully informed about how public and private care differ in practice, especially when it comes to serious illnesses like cancer. According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, and injury compared to those in major cities. These Australians often need to travel long distances or relocate to access health services or receive specialised treatment. Phil's now calling for clearer guidance, better support systems, and improved access to life-saving treatment for those living outside metropolitan areas. "I'm meant to be at the end of treatment — they said after seven to 10 days, things should start to get better. But at the moment, they're getting worse. So I'm hoping I don't have to go back, but I might have to," Phil said. "[People should] have a good think about whether they want to declare that they're going private. They might want to just go with public and get everything covered. "I'll tell you that the doctors and nurses going down the private road were fantastic, and I wouldn't change that. But I didn't know what the other side was like either." A fundraiser to assist Phil and his family with costs has been established and can be viewed here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
