Couple says chelation helps them

Neil and Terry Richmond say their health is better after going to Tijuana, Mexico for chelation treatments. They say chelation should be available in Canada, but cancer advocacy groups are wary of it.

Mac Olsen
Spotlight

A Jean Cote couple says their health has improved after travelling to Mexico for a controversial treatment known as chelation.

Neil and Terry Richmond went to Tijuana, Mexico in January for three weeks to receive chelation at Dr. Asai Castillo’s clinic.

“It worked out really well,” he says. “We were pleased with how the clinic works and we met a lot of people who had lots of feedback for how chelation has been working for them, for many different diseases.”

He received a chelation IV each day and the treatment usually lasted one hour. He has Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, his local doctors say his cholesterol and sugar levels are stable, he does not have to take arthritis medications and his vision has improved, allowing him to change his glasses prescription. He had no apprehension taking the treatments.

“I studied it and read all the testimonials. I met people that were there, my wife talked to them and it was a proven treatment.”

He is critical this treatment is not available in Canada, especially with the expense of hospitalization.

“You don’t need to spend millions of dollars on research when you’ve got so many people saying, ‘Hey, I’ve lived 10 years longer, I’ve lived 15 years longer, than what I was given.’ I’ve made the statement before and I’ll make it again, that one day we’ll look back on our health care system and see it as a holocaust because of the lack of desire to look into these other treatments.”

He encourages those with severe health problems to look at Dr. Castillo’s website about chelation.

His wife has lymphoma and eight live animal cells were used in her chelation, which concerned her.

“When I found out I was going to have those, I asked the doctor what they were from, because I didn’t want anything to do with aborted baby cells,” she says.

“They’re very open to answering any of your questions and explaining any procedure, telling you exactly what you’re getting. So they very quickly put your mind at ease, because they don’t try to hide anything from you.”

Blood work is done before the treatments and near the end, for comparisons.

“For me, they tried what they call cancer markers. That’s how they (determine) how strong the cancer is in your body. They did three tests for me and none of them really worked. That quite often happens with lymphoma and leukemia. They explained to me, ‘They might not work but we’re going to check in case they work.’ They’re easier to do than having CAT scans to see the results.”

She was also treated for an infection, which temporarily hindered her recovery, but her blood levels have been restored.

Neil Richmond will go back to Tijuana in one year for follow-up chelation.

His wife requires a CAT scan locally to determine the status of her lymphoma. She will return to Tijuana for a three-month follow-up and will receive treatment based on the CAT scan results. She says it was worth making the trip to Mexico.

“I would recommend it to anyone with health problems, not just to people who are not able to be treated here. I like the natural approach. (Dr. Castillo) uses some medications when they’re needed, but I like the fact that it’s natural and I feel they should be able to offer it here as an alternative.”

However, chelation has its detractors, such as the Cancer Advocacy Coalition Canada in Toronto. Colleen Savage, the president, said in an interview in December 2008 she is concerned about finding alternative treatments online and points to the Competition Bureau of Canada’s website for Project False Hope.

Savage says it is supposed to help Canadians identify and protect themselves against misleading promises, particularly out-of-country promotions which claim to cure or effectively treat any number of life-threatening diseases.

Cancer is a special target of this project, to protect patients from online false hope. It includes advise about how to test the information which is sent.

“As a Canadian, whenever I hear someone flying to Mexico for treatment that’s not recommended by their oncologist here, I worry about whether they’re being exploited,” Savage said.

Another organization says chelation is not useful against cancer, including lymphoma.

“There is no scientific evidence to support claims that it’s effective for conditions like cancer, which is why you wouldn’t have it happening in Canada or the U.S. in mainstream treatment,” says Lee Elliot, spokesperson for the Alberta Cancer Board in Edmonton.

She also says chelation is very useful for treating lead poisoning, but it is hazardous to health otherwise.

While in Mexico, the Richmond family donated items to several orphanages. This included school supplies for a backpack program, gift bags with little toys and toothbrushes, etc.

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