The family of a brain cancer survivor has attacked medical authorities for denying their loved one another potential life from ‘miracle surgeon’ Dr Charlie Teo.
Nearly four years ago, Les McNab, then 58, was given six months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor that was inoperable.
However, Mr. McNab and his wife Jodie refused to give up hope and turned to Dr. Teo, who specializes in high-risk, high-reward surgeries that others wouldn’t take on.
The tumor was successfully removed and Mr. McNab gained precious time with his family and even became a grandfather.
His cancer has since returned and the family now faces the prospect of having to spend thousands of dollars to fly abroad for the surgery.
Dr. Teo was found guilty of unsatisfactory conduct by the Professional Standards Committee in July, effectively banning him from operating in Australia.
In a letter posted on social media, Ms McNab accused the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) of having ‘blood on her hands’.
Nearly four years ago, Les McNab, then 58, was given six months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor that was inoperable.
“To the disgusting hyenas…with personal feuds that spread false and misleading information about Dr. Charlie Teo,” she wrote.
‘Shame on your head. HCCC, you are so wrong.’
Australia is a free country? Bulls**t. Now we have been deprived of the right to have the best surgeon in Australia, if not the world, Les operate in his own country.
“My husband’s only hope now is to be sent to a surgeon he’s never met and put his life in his hands. This has caused tremendous anxiety and stress for Les and myself.”
“You all have blood on your hands. What you did to Charlie is a national disgrace.
“People literally die when they could have been saved.”
The couple, who live in northern Queensland, have found a Singaporean surgeon willing to operate under the supervision of Dr. Teo. The Daily Telegraph reported.
Although Dr. Teo offers his services for free, the surgery will cost about $50,000 plus accommodation for Ms. McNab and other travel expenses, a financial burden Mr. McNab says he is not willing to impose on his family.
“You (the HCCC) all went on about Charlie’s charges (which were lies). Now it will cost families more to travel to other countries, which is out of reach for most families,” Ms McNab wrote in her letter.
By placing restrictions on Dr. Teo, the HCCC found that he had failed to properly inform two of his patients about the risks associated with “experimental” surgeries from which they could not recover and that he wrongly charged $35,000 to a vulnerable patient.
The restrictions include that Dr. Teo has to get permission from colleagues before operating, which has forced the controversial and colorful surgeon to admit that his career in Australia is almost over and he will have to operate abroad.
Dr. Teo (pictured with wife Traci Griffiths) banned from operating in Australia for ‘inappropriate behaviour’
Kellie-Anne Goodwin met Dr. Teo at the age of 21 when the brain cancer she had been battling since she was nine returned and other doctors told her it was inoperable
Dr. Teo previously performed a full resection on Mr McMcNab which left him cancer free for three years
“(Les) has now become a grandfather twice, he would have missed all these things,” Ms McNab told Channel Seven in October.
‘We live in a free country, we should be able to choose which surgeon we want to treat ourselves with.
It is our choice to take that risk. It is our choice to choose him as our doctor.’
Mr McNab is just the latest of the controversial neurosurgeon’s patients to swoop in and Dr. Teo defends.
Kellie-Anne Goodwin met Dr. Teo at the age of 21 when the brain cancer she had been battling since she was nine came back and other doctors told her it was inoperable.
Ms Goodwin is now in her late 30s and confined to a wheelchair, but told The Saturday Telegraph she is extremely grateful for the life Dr. Teo has given her and that she would always “be behind him.”
Her mother Kathryn Fordham told the newspaper that Kellie-Anne had “actually come back as a baby” after her first surgeries as a child and needed help to relearn how to walk, talk and take care of herself.
But she fought on, only passing high school only to have the cancer resurface in her early 20s, when her oncologist told her there was nothing that could be done.
The pair defiantly raised money with the help of the local community and traveled to Sydney to enlist the help of the neurosurgeon.
She said Dr Teo clearly explained the risks to them, including that Kellie-Anne could lose significant brain function.