Amelia ‘Millie’ Lucas is 12, and three years ago, she was diagnosed with an aggressive and malignant brain tumour.
Once given just 12 weeks to live, Millie’s family is crowdfunding to cover the costs of potentially life-saving surgery, administered by world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo.
But another respected Australian doctor, a professor from the University of Sydney, has this week started a debate about the ethics of the scenario.
On Twitter, Dr Henry Woo, who specialises in prostate surgery, wrote, “Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $120K to have surgery.”
“If it was a valid surgery,” Dr Woo continued, “it could/should be performed in the public system under Medicare.”
Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $120K to have surgery Dr Charlie Teo has offered to do for $60-80K.
If it was valid surgery, it could/should be performed in the public system under Medicare #auspol https://t.co/8s7L5mcuAZ— Henry Woo (@DrHWoo) May 24, 2019
Top Comments
In 1919 the worldwide average life expectancy was 30 years. A century later, thanks to science and medicine, children in Australia born today may well live to 100. We live in a time of great safety and health, having cured many afflictions and no longer need to worry about death from infection after a minor cut or a 1 in 5 chance of dying during birth.
In the next 25 years we will all have the tools to routinely resequence DNA, opening up another great advance in health, the curing of virtually all genetic diseases before they ever occur, including the genetic predispositions for cancer. Imagine simple, non invasive procedures to take the breast cancer gene out of your family lineage forever. What a wonderful gift of science.
We should always be encouraging the doctors and researchers at the forefront of medical achievement, every small advance they are making is paying off massively for all of us.
We should be asking why only one surgeon in this country is able to get results from these surgeries when other brain surgeons aren’t. Charlie Teo has always talked about the arrogance and ego of other surgeons who write patients off, when there is still a chance. He makes other surgeons look bad, that’s why they criticise him. They should work harder and learn from him rather than bleat about what he’s doing.
I think insurance is the real issue here. Most surgeons refuse to do surgery where the risk of being sued is too high. I don’t see how it’s arrogant to say ‘I don’t have the skill to save your life’
Perhaps so, but then they should invite Dr Teo to come and do the surgery for free.
(Free for the patient that is)