A mother of three whose mouth cancer was missed due to Covid restrictions is now facing eviction after failing to pay bills during her two years of treatment and rehabilitation.
Nicole Freeman, 30, is unable to speak and is tube fed due to 15 hour surgery which left her with half of her tongue is now trying to raise 6,000 pounds to pay off debts.
Nicole first noticed a sore at the back of her tongue in November 2020 while four months pregnant with her third child. Lockdown measures meant she couldn’t see her GP in person and was advised over the phone to use Bonjela for what was misdiagnosed as a harmless mouth ulcer. Despite sending photos and calling five times, the seriousness of her condition went unnoticed.
Her cancer was finally detected by a midwife in March 2021 while giving birth to her daughter, Nevaeh. By then, Nicole had lost her ability to speak and was using an iPad to communicate. A biopsy confirmed oral cancer, and doctors warned that if it had gone untreated any longer, she would not have survived the summer.
During her recovery, Nicole was placed in a care home for respite, but mounting council tax and rent arrears left her facing prosecution and possible eviction. “I unknowingly fell into debt while focusing on my treatment and recovery,” Nicole shared. “I’m desperate to return to normal life with my children in our adapted home.”
Citizens Advice has helped stave off immediate threats, but Nicole has just one week to pay her council tax in full. She is appealing for donations to help cover her debts and regain stability for her family.
The number of mouth cancer cases in the UK has reached a record-breaking high, surpassing 10,000 for the first time, according to recent data collected by the Oral Health Foundation.
The report shows 10,825 new cases of mouth cancer are being diagnosed in the UK annually – representing a 133 percent rise over the last 20 years. Cases missed due to lockdown measures as well as lack of proper checks to to overstretched NHS services have been blamed for some of the rise.
The charity’s report shows an estimated 3,637 people in the UK lost their life to mouth cancer last year – an increase of 61 percent compared with ten years ago.
At the same time, over half (52 percent) of cases are diagnosed at stages III and IV, when the cancer is at its most advanced.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation said: “The NHS dental contract and workforce shortages need to be addressed urgently. Being able to access a dentist and get a timely referral is not only about healthy teeth and gums, but it could also be lifesaving.”
At the same time a new report shows nearly a quarter of all new cancer cases may have been missed during the Covid pandemic, a World Health Organisation (WHO) study has found.
Researchers said lockdown measures and pressures on healthcare systems saw diagnoses of the disease drop by 23 per cent globally, suggesting it was not identified in around one million people.
The findings come after experts analysed the results of more than 240 different studies, providing the first detailed analysis assessment of the impact of Covid on cancer care across the globe.
A previous study by the University of Oxford found there had been a “substantial impact” on cancer screening and diagnoses in the UK in 2020 and 2021 caused by the pandemic. It estimated that 18,000 breast, 13,000 colorectal, 10,000 lung, and 21,000 prostate cancer diagnosis were missed from March 2020 to December 2021.
World leading cancer specialist Professor Karol Sikora said: “Life years lost to lockdown delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment will far exceed those lost to Covid. The warnings were made.”