THE MOTHER of a terminally ill 15-year-old boy told a jury yesterday that Paschal Carmody told her son that he would cure him of cancer or at worst keep him alive.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Christina O’Sullivan said that Mr Carmody told her husband Derek, her son Conor and herself on July 9th, 2002, at his East Clinic in Killaloe, Co Clare, that his photodynamic treatment for cancer “would work a treat” on Conor’s form of cancer.
Two months before, Conor had been told by his consultant doctor that he had six months to live after his cancer had returned.
Conor O’Sullivan, Granite Lodge, Gorey, Co Wexford, died four months after the consultation with Mr Carmody on November 13th, 2002.
Mrs O’Sullivan told the court: “Mr Carmody . . . put his arm around Conor and said: ‘I’ll cure you of cancer and at worst, if I don’t, I’ll at least keep you alive’.”
Counsel for Mr Carmody Pat Marrinan SC said his client would dispute he said that. In response, Mrs O’Sullivan said: “Those words will never, ever leave my mind.”
Mr Carmody (60), Ballycuggaran, Killaloe, Co Clare, is pleading not guilty to 25 separate charges of obtaining money totalling €80,172 from six terminally ill cancer patients and their families by deception between September 2001 and October 2002.
Counsel for the State Denis Vaughan Buckley SC said that all the patients died.
Mrs O’Sullivan said she was willing to do anything to keep her son alive. “We wanted to give it a shot. We didn’t have anything to lose.”
Conor was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in March 2001. From March to November 2001 he underwent three to four sessions of chemotherapy every 21 days, followed by daily radiotherapy.
The course of treatment was complete in April 2002; however, an MRI scan at the Blackrock Clinic in May 2002 showed that the tumour had returned.
Mrs O’Sullivan said that after the session of photodynamic treatment was arranged for Conor at Mr Carmody’s clinic for July 29th, 2002, “We felt the weight of the world had lifted from our shoulders.”
Mr Vaughan Buckley told the jury Mr Carmody had explained to another terminally ill patient, John James Gallagher, that the treatment involved injecting a liquid into the body that attaches itself to the cancerous tumour.
Mr Carmody then told Mr Gallagher that a laser light shines on the body and lifted the tumours from the organs. Mr Gallagher said: “Like magic?” to which Mr Carmody is alleged to have responded: “Magic is right.”
Mrs O’Sullivan said that on July 29th, Conor underwent the photodynamic treatment for three hours. She said he got upset “when hives as large as cherry tomatoes” started to appear on his skin.
She said that Conor wanted to scratch and he was crying with the pain, but William Porter, the man administering the treatment, said that he was not to scratch. Mrs O’Sullivan said Mr Porter told her that his wife had been cured of breast cancer by the treatment.
In total, Mrs O’Sullivan paid €9,610 to Mr Carmody. She said that there was no follow-up treatment. Instead, Mr Porter said the treatment should continue at home and he gave her a bottle that contained a greenish liquid.
He said Conor should receive a teaspoon of the liquid each day before six lamps were shone on him for 20 minutes.
Conor’s health deteriorated and he died on November 13th, 2002.
Mrs O’Sullivan said she contacted Mr Carmody after being told he could cure cancer. She visited a patient of his, Mark Hadden who was living in Co Wexford.
Mr Marrinan said that this was very significant as Mr Hadden, at the age of 14, was given only three months to live; he lived for a further eight years and attributed this to the care of Mr Carmody, who didn’t charge him any money.
Mr Marrinan said Mr Hadden died last month and his wife, who has nothing but praise for Mr Carmody, is to give evidence.
Mr Vaughan Buckley said photodynamic treatment can be used for cancer but was “an inappropriate treatment” for deep-rooted cancer.
The trial continues before Judge Rory McCabe today.
