Help Karen Filby Get Life Saving Treatment

My beautiful friend, Karen Filby is fighting stage 4 Lung cancer. In September 2018 Karen was given only 3 Months to live and offered no curative treatment options in Australia, told to go home and get her affairs in order.

She had 15 lung tumours between both Lungs and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, spine, hips and left leg. With no treatable options in Australia Karen started looking for other treatment options which is where she came across an Integrative Naturopath. Kaz had an appointment with this Naturopath, and this is where she truly began her battle.

Kaz was introduced to an Integrative clinic in Thailand called Verita Life and due to the severity of her cancer an appointment was made within days with Dr Hossami from Verita Life Clinic. During the consult with Dr Hossami she was told that there were treatment options for her but she needed to come to Thailand ASAP. Within 1 week of hearing this Kaz was on a flight to Thailand for life saving treatment.

The treatment was originally going to be for 6 weeks however at the 6 week mark Kaz’s scans showed massive reduction in all her cancer so Dr Hossami asked her to stay a further 3 weeks. The treatment had reduced the lung tumours from 15 to 5 and cleared the lymph nodes affected back to 1. The bones mets remained but Dr Hossami was confident he could clear them and the rest with ongoing oral treatments as home.

Kaz’s partner Dave, the love of her life was by her side the whole time in Thailand. He cared for and supported Kaz in everything she needed and was the most beautiful soul, in fact he cared for anyone having a hard time at the Clinic. They both did, even at her lowest moments Kaz made sure everyone else was okay and provided emotional support where it was needed.

Kaz and Dave returned to Australia and continued fighting Kaz’s cancer with different medications under the guidance of Dr Hossami. In November 2020 Kaz’s scans showed her cancer was no longer active. This news was amazing considering the original time frame she was given.

This joy was short lived as Dave had a massive heart attack in the early hours of Christmas Eve 2020. Dave went on to spend days in intensive care fighting for his life with Kaz by his side fighting for him as he had fought for her, but unfortunately he took his last breathe on the 4th Jan 2021.

As you could imagine this completely shattered Kaz, her partner and best friend who fought to save her life just lost his. This took its toll on Kaz physically and mentally and in her April Petscan is showed cancer had reared its head again. Her August scan showed some further progression.

I met Kaz and Dave whilst I also was a patient at Verita Life, I was battling stage 4 breast cancer and today I am cancer free. Karen and Dave became great friends and support to myself and husband, We have remained great friends in fact we regard each other as family.

Even going through what she has and still is dealing with she continues to help and support other people and their loved ones with cancer. If you did not know her you would not know the emotional toll she has had on her.

Kaz in now looking at going back to Thailand in January 2022 for more treatment and this comes at a large cost which is why I decided to start this Go fund me. The first time around Kaz was able to fund all treatment and ongoing medical costs herself from her Superannuation. With Dave passing and cancer reoccurring she has no income and is desperately needing further treatment in Thailand. Any help would be greatly appreciated.