Filipino expat beats death after 7.8kg tumour surgery in Abu Dhabi

  DUBAI – A Filipino expatriate was given a second lease of life after surgeons in Abu Dhabi successfully removed a cancerous tumour weighing 7.8kg from his abdomen. James Palalay, 37, was initially told that his tumour was too large to remove. In just a matter of months, it grew to weigh nearly eleven times as heavy as a basketball. Palalay said being told he had cancer felt like “someone poured cold water over my head”. What made it worse was learning it was too big to remove without the risk of killing him. Hospitals told him it might be better for him to live out his days in the Philippines. However, this was not an option for Palalay, a father of three whose family is living with him in the UAE. As fate would have it, the Filipino met “miracle workers” in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) where he had the risky surgery done in March. At the time of his surgery, the huge tumour had pressed on his other organs, including his stomach and kidneys, complicating the already life-threatening situation. Dr. Ali Harithi of SSMC said doctors planned to remove Palalay’s right colon because it “looked stuck to the mass”. Thankfully, this wasn’t necessary in the end. “When we opened there was just this huge mass, which we removed completely without damaging or removing the organs. It went well,” Harithi said. Palalay spent five days recuperating in the hospital without any need for chemotherapy. He now feels healthier after having “expected the worst”. "I cried from joy," he said. With a new lease on life, he is looking forward to returning to work in Dubai. ICA/Expat Media
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