GUEST SPEAKER - DR ANDREW CHOW

 
The Chair Michael Boyd introduced Guest Speaker, Dr Andrew Chow. Andrew was born in Warracknabeal and grew up in Maryborough with parents and 4 siblings. His father was the local General Practitioner for over 30 years. Andrew studied medicine at Melbourne University/St Vincents Hospital and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1991. He worked at St Vincents Hospital for two years, then came to Warrnambool in 1994 where he initially worked as a Resident at the Base Hospital. He joined the Cambourne Clinic as Partner in 1995. At that stage Cambourne Clinic had 4 partner doctors and 3 administration staff. Cambourne Clinic has now expanded to 5 Partners, 11 doctors, 10 administration staff and 7 nurses. Andrew became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 1996 and is an accredited supervisor involved in teaching junior doctors. He is an Associate Lecturer at Deakin University involved with the local Medical School. Andrew developed a special interest in skin cancer detection and treatment. He played football with Port Fairy and South Rovers Football Club and has recently completed the Gold Coast and Melbourne Marathons. He is married to Tracy and has 6 children.
Leila was his fifth child born in 2008 and passed away from a rare cancer in 2010. The Leila Rose Foundation was established in 2011 to help children and families affected by rare childhood cancer.
 
There is currently a gap in the system for families facing the challenge of a child with rare cancer. For families who find that their child is suffering from a rare form of cancer (approx. 40 new cases in Australia each year), not only is it an extremely emotional journey for the families, but one made even more complex due to the fragmentation of knowledge surrounding the nature of their child’s cancer.  Families are often faced with:
  • An often uncertain or delayed diagnosis by medical practitioners, who may be required to seek alternative opinions and further validation of results;
  • Uncertainty and a lack of understanding of the rare cancer and its impact;
  • A lack of a support network of families who have children with the same or similar cancer – they feel isolated;
  • A lack of available treatment options for the cancer and medical practitioners relying on standard treatments for more common cancers in the absence of a detailed understanding of the rare cancer.  If this fails, as it so often does, the family is left with no other options;
  • A public health system so overwhelmed that it cannot conduct the required global research regarding alternative treatment options or case study efficacies;
  • An increased travel and accommodation financial burden due to additional specialist and medical practitioner visits, perhaps for second opinions, alternative practitioners, etc.
Tracy and Dr Andrew Chow's little girl Leila Rose lost her battle with a rare form of cancer, Rhabdoid Tumor, when she was just 21 months old on September 12, 2010. Leila was just 10 months old when she was diagnosed and treated at a leading children’s hospital in Australia. Her cancer was so rare that the hospital had only seen two other cases. The cancer specialists were able to provide the initial treatment regime but when that failed they could offer no other options.
 
Andrew, a Warrnambool doctor, decided to seek answers from around the world and specialists from Germany, France and the US offered treatment options. Tracy and Andrew were inspired to help other families whose children were diagnosed with rare cancers to get the help they need. 
 
The fight for Leila’s life showed Tracy and Andrew Chow the pain and frustration experienced by families when their kids are diagnosed with rare and incurable diseases. For the Chow’s, there was a thirst for knowledge, a burning drive to make sure that no stone was unturned and that every possible treatment option was considered.  Being from the country was difficult, and walking the fine line of being at home with her family and in Melbourne where her treatment was needed was always a difficult decision.  Unfortunately these needs were unmet by the health system and the lack of funding by the health system meant that excellent practitioners did not have the capacity or resources to meet their needs.  After the passing of Leila, the Chow’s wondered how many other families have experienced the same problems and how many are currently going through it.  
 
The Chow’s established the Leila Rose Foundation in 2011, in memory of their daughter. The Leila Rose Foundation was launched on December 4, 2011, which would have been Leila's third birthday. The Leila Rose foundation is dedicated to assisting families affected by Rare Childhood Cancer.  The foundation offers support and guidance to families when faced with the painful reality that little may be known about the cancer affecting their child.  With possibly no known cure available, the foundation assists families to ensure that they have a complete understanding of their child’s cancer, the treatment process and available treatment options so that they feel empowered to make informed choices about their child’s health.
 
Assistance offered by the Leila Rose Foundation is diverse and ranges from supporting families with the practical responsibilities associated with tackling a rare disease to seeking secondary or specialist intervention and researching global treatment efficacies for like cancers. The Leila Rose Foundation focuses solely on rare childhood cancers and makes the journey for families less unfamiliar.  It deems to eliminate any barriers that may exist in the search for the best possible support and treatment for their child. 
 
The Chair, Michael Boyd, thanked Dr Chow for his interesting speech and presented him with a certificate for a mosquito net to be donated to a needy family in New Guinea.
 
Following the general meeting the Board agreed to donate $1,000 to the foundation.
 
For more information, please see the web site of the Leila Rose Foundation (click here)