"Nightmare" for mum with terminal conditions

Exeter mum Jo Smith, who is suffering from two terminal conditions, has made a heartbreaking decision to return from Thailand where she was promised pioneering treatment.

The 36-year-old was diagnosed with a rare heart and lung disease (pulmonary hypertension) almost a year after giving birth to her son Rudey, now aged three, and within months was told she had lymphatic cancer.

She is thought to be the only person in the world with both diseases.

Jo, a former Exeter College student, cannot undergo treatment for the cancer because of the risk to her heart and lungs which have been weakened due to the PH. Neither can she be put on a waiting list for a heart and lung transplant, because she has cancer.

The hospital in Thailand offered a ray of hope and in just two weeks £30,000 was pledged to help her fly out for treatment.

But the reality is a far cry from the dream.

In a post on her Facebook page, Jo and her best friend, Sarah Lacey, who has accompanied her to Thailand, have told how they were put up in a 'squalid' hotel room and even denied meals that were meant to help her rehabilitaion.

The post reads:

This is an announcement we were never expecting to have to make. It is with great sadness & disappointment that Jo has made the extremely difficult decision not to continue her treatment with the Better Being Hospital in Thailand.

It became clear very quickly that Jo was not going to receive the care necessary to cure either of her conditions.

The organisation and communication within the hospital is extremely poor, during our time in Bangkok the hospital failed to find Jo & I adequate accommodation.

They also failed to provide her with the promised meals which were a fundamental part of her treatment plan.

Despite paying the hospital a deposit of £15,000 they did not in any way provide us with any evidence to suggest that Jo was in good hands, from putting her in a damp and squalid hotel room to not having any form of treatment plan in place other than acupuncture.

The air in Bangkok is severely polluted and has been making Jo's breathing considerably worse. However we are now out of the city where the quality of air is far better.

We are currently waiting for a full refund as promised from the hospital and will be returning home to our families as soon as the money is back in Jo's account, so that she may seek treatment elsewhere.

The good news is that since Jo's story went in the national papers, 2 more people have come forward with strong evidence to suggest we can help Jo in the U.K.

We have had a really tough time here in Thailand, we are confident we have made the right decision and that the money raised for Jo will be far better spent on treatment elsewhere, Jo is still in good spirits, there are still options out there and we are still very positive we can cure her.

The hospital have acknowledged the poor patient care Jo has received and have apologised sincerely calling our experience "An absolute nightmare." We will be home as soon as possible, see you all soon, thank you all for your continued support.

much love Sarah & Jo. xxx