Woman dies after being accused by doctors of faking symptoms
A woman from New Zealand has passed away from a debilitating illness after being told by a doctor that her illness was “all in her head”.
Stephanie Aston, 33, died after a long and public battle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare genetic disorder affecting the body’s connective tissue, on September 1st.
EDS, of which there are 13 different variants, is often referred to as an "invisible illness", as sufferers can often appear healthy despite experiencing excruciating symptoms, such as severe migraines, dislocating joints, easy bruising, abdominal pain, iron deficiency, fainting and an abnormally fast heart-rate.
Aston said she was dismissed by a doctor in 2016, who dismissed her symptoms and told her that she was faking her disease.
Despite being diagnosed with EDS by three different specialists, one doctor in Auckland, who Aston referred to as 'Doctor A', suggested she was not seriously unwell and indicated she was causing her illnesses, The NZ Herald reports.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes New Zealand founder Kelly McQuinlan said Stephanie's death has shocked the community, and said more needs to be done for those suffering with the debilitating condition.
“A lot of people are feeling very lost,” she said.
“I think most people in these rare positions or invisible illnesses, definitely experience setbacks and disbelieving because things can’t be seen but really the clinical symptoms are there that are being ignored.”
Ms McQuinlan described Ms Aston as a “beacon” for those with the illness in a tribute to her on Facebook.
“Most people in our community have experienced some form of sort of doctors not believing them or questioning their diagnosis which is extremely hard,” she wrote.
“When they see someone in their community pass away, the first thing they think is ‘What if my care is not looked after? What’s going to happen to me?’.”
“At the end of the day, if symptoms aren’t managed correctly, anyone can get sick enough that they will pass away.”
Image credits: Facebook