From saving lives to saving her own life
“The support I have received from the people in eMalahleni has been amazing,” said Lauren.
Lauren de Swardt (29) is well known in eMalahleni for her bubbly personality and her work ethic in the emergency field, but she has been diagnosed with a rare lung disease.
Lauren, who works for ER24 as a paramedic, responded to a call in the informal settlement on February 28 to attend to a priority-one patient.
A shavathon was hosted for Lauren de Swardt on Saturday, June 17 and a get well poster was handed to her.
Once the patient was loaded into the ambulance her partner who was driving the ambulance hit the brakes because someone drove in front of the ambulance and Lauren who was seated in the back of the ambulance fell onto her side.
When she arrived at eMalahleni Private Hospital (Eph), the doctors suspected that she had fractured her ribs in the fall.
Without hesitation Dr Desire Booysen sent Lauren for a CT scan and in that process they determined that she did fracture her ribs, but another thing was discovered in the scan of her lungs.
At first they thought that she had Tuberculosis as this is what it seemed like according to the scans.
Lauren went for various tests and it was determined that she did not have Tuberculosis, but she was still none the wiser what was on her lungs.
Lauren de Swardt (29) was diagnosed with Pulmonary Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) on February 28.
She was booked into hospital where she underwent test after test, biopsy after biopsy.
It was then determined that Lauren had Pulmonary Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH). Her case is the 10th reported case world wide.
“Me attending to that call of the 14-year-old girl actually saved my life,” said Lauren.
Pulmonary Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) is an unusual cystic lung disease that is also characterized by extrapulmonary manifestations.
As this disease is treated as a cancer, she started chemotherapy on Tuesday, June 13.
Lauren will be going for chemotherapy for six weeks and then more scans and tests will be done to determine if the chemotherapy has helped.
If the six weeks of chemo has not cleared up her lungs, Lauren will continue for six months with treatment.
Lauren will not be on the road treating patients for six months as she needs to take care of herself and her health.
“The support I have received from the people in eMalahleni has been amazing,” said Lauren.
ALSO READ:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/80308/breast-cancer-is-also-a-mans-disease-2/
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/47615/four-people-tested-positive-for-swine-flu/
