After a thoughtless act I developed caustic esophagitis – as a consequence, I could not swallow anything at all, and there was the need for a feeding tube placed directly into my stomach.

My hospital and the field specialists that I contacted considered that it was an inoperable case. I contacted New Breathe who referred me to an esophageal surgery specialist who agreed to review my case and operate on me. The surgery was extremely complicated, I spent one month in intensive care, but progressively I have been recovering. Today I can already eat normally with my mouth, despite some dietary restrictions.

My father, at the age of 70, developed a rare and extremely aggressive leukemia. He was initially seen at the IPO and started chemotherapy, which went very well. For 7 months there was no evidence of disease. After this period, a skin lesion appeared and a biopsy confirmed a recurrence. Local radiotherapy was performed, but in a very short time there were new manifestations. Given the aggressiveness and low response to treatments, he was not offered any therapeutic alternative.

In the research that me and my brothers did together, we contacted New Breathe to evaluate possible alternatives. Within a short period of time they proposed the possibility of inclusion in a phase II clinical trial taking place in the United States. After we were accepted, they contacted the sponsor of the clinical trial and verified that my father met the criteria to eventually be included. They took care of all the paperwork, travel and lodging. My father was able to undergo an experimental treatment that allowed him a few more long months of virtually asymptomatic life.