Family in Houston for cancer treatment gets ripped off

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A family facing a tough cancer battle together is now facing even more trouble after they were ripped off while their daughter was receiving treatment.

The family had driven hundreds of miles to Houston, trying to save her life. Now that costly trip is becoming even more expensive.

It has been a tough few months for the Eric and Laura Smith and their family.

"Our daughter has a sarcoma and this is supposed to be one of the best clinics in the country," said Laura Smith, mother of Grace.

Grace Smith turns 20 years old on Saturday. She'll spend her birthday in chemotherapy at MD Anderson with her parents by her side.

"She's really, really been an inspiration to everybody, really," said Grace's father, Eric Smith.

But this trip from the family home in McRae, Georgia, to save Grace's life took an even tougher turn Monday night. Eric spent the night at the hospital, while Laura stayed at a motel near Buffalo Speedway and the South Loop.

"This night she was actually up, tossing and turning and bending over trying to get some relief," said Eric.

But what happened next left the Smiths floored.

"And I go out and find out all four of our tires had been taken off of our car," Laura said.

Sometime on Monday night, thieves had taken the tires off of the family car as it sat in the parking lot of the motel.

"I couldn't get to the hospital and I was devastated," said Laura.

The Smiths filed a report with the Houston Police Department.

The car was still sitting in the parking lot without tires Wednesday. The Smiths going back and forth to the Texas Medical Center by shuttle.

But as upsetting as the theft was to them, the focus remains on Grace.

"I just broke down and started crying, it was very overwhelming," said Laura.

"Being aggravated, being upset about it is not going to help anything," said Eric.

The Smiths say they have insurance and help from their church back in Georgia, but fixing the damage and replacing the tires will cost about $5,000.

They say they will be here for about three weeks and more trips to Houston for cancer treatment are likely in the future.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Unofficial treatment for Lyme disease is polarizing

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A national petition is being circulated online, to try and change the way doctors treat Lyme disease, which is a tick-borne illness. We take a look at the opposing views doctors have on how to treat "chronic" Lyme disease and the desperate patients who feel caught in the middle.

Sarah Gallander uses an infrared sauna to help with her pain from Lyme disease. She went to eight doctors for help with her symptoms.

"Fevers, chills, night sweats. I mean, I was falling apart," Gallander said.

She suspected Lyme because she'd had tick bites as a child. She took antibiotics for and got better.

"We're done with Lyme disease and then all of a sudden, the symptoms started coming back," she said. "No doctor would take me because I had the Lyme diagnosis, it was like I was branded with the Scarlet Letter of Lyme disease."

Gallander now goes to a doctor in Minnesota and is back on antibiotics.

Craig and Lisa Wilson have spent $15,000 seeing a Lyme doctor in California. Now he's on antibiotics.

"Being one of the greatest medical cities in the world and the idea that I have to fly to California to deal with this is insane," Craig said.

"I have at least 400 children who are from Texas who could not get treatment here," Connecticut Dr. Charles Ray Jones said.

Dr. Jones is considered a pioneer Lyme physician by patient groups.

One of the first symptoms is a rash that often looks like a bull's eye rash. Doctors agree that a few weeks of antibiotics can cure it. The controversy is over whether there is "chronic "Lyme with weakness, joint pain, and sometimes neurological problems that can come much later; and whether it's right to give months of antibiotics to treat it.

"The treatment should depend on response to therapy, as it should with most diseases," Dr. Jones said.

Dr. Jones typically gives antibiotics for one to three years but gave them to one patient for 16 years, to kill Lyme that he says mutated.

"The danger is not in treating long term, the danger is in treating and stopping prematurely," Dr. Jones said.

"Prolonged antibiotics have been studied by four national institute trials and have not been shown to prove any benefit compared to the four-week treatment," said Baylor infectious disease professor Dr. Carol Baker.

But Dr. Baker empathizes with desperate patients.

"I understand that you're looking for answers. There aren't answers. But don't go bankrupt because some doctor tells you I'll treat you with a year of antibiotics and this will make you well," he said.

Craig still takes antibiotics and says that's why he's back at work.

"I'm only better because I've been on three months of super heavy antibiotics," he said.

Lisa was told she needs antibiotics, too.

"I'm going to try this herbal approach first just because I know the antibiotics bring on a whole other set of problems," she said.

"Could Lyme, could this bacteria set off all these other symptoms? There's just no evidence and people have looked hard but we need to keep looking," Dr. Baker said.

Gallander, who works in the medical industry, is hoping those answers come soon.

"I'm waiting for the day where I can feel good again," Gallander said.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more HealthCheck »

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