Patient stories
Harsha Shah, 45, from Forest Gate in London, was debilitated by epilepsy –afraid to leave the house, in case she had a seizure, and terrified about the effect on her two children. Fear and embarrassment turned her into a virtual recluse.
Two years ago, Jack Aitchison barely had the energy to watch football on the TV. The nine year old was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – and within weeks of starting treatment, was playing football for the first time in his life.
Diabetic Cliff Saunders, 66, from Maldon in Essex, was shocked to discover that he had a rare allergy to the drug that was keeping him alive. He is now receiving a pioneering treatment and his quality of life has been transformed.
Carol Kleeman, 62, from Kilburn, had to face every woman’s worst fear when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. However, she’s now back at work and looks so well, that people ask if she’s been away on holiday.
In August 2007, policeman Huseyin Nasif, 36, from Hornchurch in Essex, was answering an emergency call, when he was involved in a high-speed car crash. His right hand was almost severed, but surgeons at Barts and The London battled for hours to save it.
Stephen Whatley, 45, an administrator from Harlow in Essex, needed heart surgery to stand a chance of seeing his daughters grow up. So he underwent two complex operations – and can now look to the future.