Mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer and placed in palliative care – only for doctors to admit they were wrong SIX MONTHS later
- Woman who was falsely told she had rectal cancer has been left scarred
- Killarney Jeffares was diagnosed with the cancer and told she had days to live
- Following surgery, it was found she had ovarian cancer and not all hope was lost
- She said those 96 hours have scarred her for life and feels her issue was ignored
A woman who was falsely told she had rectal cancer with just days left to live says the wrong diagnosis has left her scarred.
Six months after New Zealand woman Killarney Jeffares was diagnosed with rectal cancer, doctor’s told her it had spread and there was nothing they could do.
She was immediately rushed into palliative care and for four days Mrs Jeffares was on her deathbed with funeral arrangements in place, NZ Herald reported.
Six months after New Zealand woman Killarney Jeffares (pictured) was diagnosed with rectal cancer, doctor’s told her it had spread and there was nothing they could do
She was immediately rushed into palliative care and for four days Mrs Jeffares was on her deathbed with funeral arrangements in place (pictured with one of her daughters)
Now, the 50-year-old says those 96 hours scarred her for life and she feels like her trauma has been ‘swept under the carpet’ after her complaint to the ACC was denied.
‘I’m pretty gutted. I don’t know what path to take now,’ she said.
On June 10 last year, Mrs Jeffares came out of what was meant to be a seven hour surgery after two hours and was told she didn’t have long left.
Family immediately flew from Australia to be with her, wills were finalised and funeral arrangements were in place.
Four days later, doctors told the grandmother there had been a mistake and samples from the surgery revealed she actually had ovarian cancer.
Now, the 50-year-old says those 96 hours scarred her for life and she feels like her trauma has been ‘swept under the carpet’
With the cancer in its early stages, Mrs Jeffares immediately sprung into action with tests and scans, and started chemotherapy.
In January this year, the New Zealand woman was told she was clear of cancer but the traumatising 96 hours still haunt her to this day.
‘It is reliving the moment when they said there’s basically nothing we can do except manage it and seeing my family’s faces – they were breaking down and my husband was crying. I will never regain those four days. Never,’ Mrs Jeffares said.
‘I’ve never been so pleased that someone’s got something wrong.’
With the ovarian cancer in its early stages, Mrs Jeffares immediately sprung into action with tests and scans, and started chemotherapy
While those involved in the misdiagnosis have been sympathetic to her, Mrs Jeffares wants to hold someone responsible.
Following an investigation by the Hawkes Bay District Health Baord, the 50-year-old lodged a complaint to New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation.
The ACC denied Mrs Jeffares’ claim, saying they believed she didn’t suffer a treatment injury, mental or physical.