Glimmer of hope for Princeton father battling cancer

PRINCETON – There are hopeful signs the cancer on the face of a Princeton father might soon be treated. On Friday, Global Okanagan aired the story of Fred Cosman who has been diagnosed with lymphoma. Aside from the clearly visible tumours on his nose, he says his body is getting weaker everyday.

READ MORE: Princeton man fears for his life, says health care system has ‘failed him’

“Now my stomach and my appetite is going. I used to wake up in the morning and have an appetite but now I wake up with cramps and I can’t eat,” said Cosman, who is also a parapalegic as a result of a mining accident 10 years ago.

Within 24 hours of Global News airing Cosman’s story, someone from the B.C. Cancer Agency contacted them to set up an appointment in Kelowna later this week. It was a phone call he had waited a long time for, and he’s hoping it will lead to treatment and eventually recovery.

“I’m concerned because before it was just in the nose now it’s swelling up to the eye and I’m concerned that it might go into the brain and at that point I think we’ll lose our battle,” says his caregiver Tina Krause.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm concerned because before it was just in the nose now it's swelling up to the eye and I'm concerned that it might go into the brain and at that point I think we'll lose our battle," says his caregiver Tina Krause.

She says he needs radiation treatment for the cancer, but they’re still waiting to hear when that can happen. They’re hoping their meeting with the B.C. Cancer Agency will help a timeline for treatment clear.

Minister of Health, Terry Lake, said in Question Period on Tuesday that Cosman now has an appointment set up for Wednesday. “The BC Cancer Agency has reached out directly to him and his family to make sure he receives the very best care he deserves,” said Lake.

BC NDP spokesperson on health, Judy Darcy, said before Cosman’s story aired on TV, the B.C. Cancer Agency had not even been in contact with the Princeton resident. “Why do British Columbians have to rely on headlines to get the treatment that they need?” she said.

Lake said it is not appropriate to discuss individual cases in Question Period. “Skin problems, cancer problems, or any other kind of health problems, are not necessarily easy to solve or solvable in Question Period. We rely on health professionals to make these decisions.”

The Ministry of Health previously told Global News in a statement that “Every individual case is different, and the health system relies on the clinical and medical expertise of physicians to make the appropriate diagnosis of a patient, including the urgency of treatment.”

“If a physician determines that the need for care is urgent, it will be given a higher priority.”

On Friday, Interior Health told Global News it wasn’t aware of Cosman’s plight and that it would be following up with his case. The family is also getting some financial supporting including through a Go Fund Me page being set up for them.