Melissa Huggins nerve-jangling wait for cancer treatment

Jan 28 2009 By Adam Courtney, Staines News

Melissa Huggins (centre) in Boston

Young cancer victim Melissa Huggins is still waiting to start life-saving treatment as American doctors insist on making their own diagnosis before proceeding.

The 27-year old, a teacher at St Ignatius Primary School, Sunbury, has been in Boston for two weeks, and is set to be treated with pioneering proton radiotherapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital for a fast-spreading brain tumour.

She expected to start a proton planning course almost immediately after arriving but, despite her urgent need to be treated, doctors have been making their own judgments in the past fortnight and the planning is not now expected to start until later this week.

Melissa, of Bremer Road, Staines, is being supported while she waits by fiancé James Pegram, parents Lorraine and Mark, sister Katrina and her fiance Dan.

Speaking from Boston, James, who was set to fly back to Britain yester

day (Tuesday), said: "It is understandable because they cannot just take the British doctors' word for it, but because we have now been here two weeks it is getting a bit frustrating.

"Melissa is just desperate to get cracking.

"I think the excitement factor has gone a little bit because there have been a lot of meetings and a lot of hanging around and we aren't being told stuff we don't already know.

"It still seems like we're in limbo a bit."

On a positive note, the family has managed to secure accommodation, having arrived in Boston, where the temperature has been about -20[02da]C, with no idea of where they were going to stay.

They spent three nights in an hotel, but the hospital has now booked them an apartment for the next month.

James said: "We're trying to make it as much like home as possible and have been hiring out a lot of DVDs.

"The people over here have been very, very friendly and welcoming.

"The only problem has been the cold - you can't move!

"It's a new experience, that's for sure."