Kevin Wake’s mother taught him to become a Sickle Cell Disease expert from a young age. Today, the seasoned patient advocate shares his story with This Is MedTech ...
Comms Team
10th May 2021
Four-year-old Oliver Hardwell shows that he is not going to let pontocerebellar hypoplasia – PCH – hold him back. Oliver is one in a million if not one in a billion. While his diagnosis is not clear cut, genetic tests suggest that ...
3rd May 2021
For Lottie Drynan, having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) came with some unexpected turns. Despite experiencing a host of symptoms that significantly impact her quality of life, Lottie has found huge comfort in her blossoming role as an award-winning IBS patient ...
28th April 2021
Stewart Armstrong is a force to be reckoned with. Not satisfied with taming his sarcoidosis and life-threatening aspergillosis, last year he demonstrated just what can be achieved, by climbing the height of Mount Everest. Stewart’s health journey started about ...
15th April 2021
“Haemophilia shouldn’t limit what people do,” says Clive Smith, qualified barrister, prominent haemophilia patient advocate and keen sportsman. As if to reinforce his point, Clive has not only competed for Great Britain in the European duathlon championships but is ...
18th June 2021
Kevin Wake’s mother taught him to become a Sickle Cell Disease expert from a young age. Today, the seasoned patient advocate shares his story with This Is MedTech to mark World Sickle Cell Day. “I was diagnosed when I ...
16th June 2021
“They knew I had thalassemia even before I was born, and they knew it was major,” says Amit Ghelani. But with an effective treatment plan, including regular blood transfusions and routine monitoring, Amit, now 35, lives what he happily describes as ...
17th May 2021
At 43, health researcher Nicola McMeekin was blissfully unaware of her hypertension until she had a life-threatening heart injury. “There was no warning. I was sitting at my desk writing an email when I suddenly had pains in my chest, down ...
29th March 2021
Daniela Knecht had been suffering knee pain for years when she went looking for a way to continue living her full and active life. The first day after her surgery, she was up and about and feeling fantastic. “You know ...
29th March 2021
Keisha Meek and Nikita Chadha bonded under unusual circumstances. The women met through a shared chronic condition called endometriosis. Like many people with this debilitating gynaecological disorder, it took Keisha and Nikita many years to get a diagnosis. Now they ...
24th March 2021
Five years ago, British local election candidate Samara Barnes was astonished to learn that her persistent cough was tuberculosis (TB). To mark World TB Day, Samara shares her story with This Is MedTech. “I had had a cough for a ...
19th February 2021
Rhianna Urquhart was just starting university when she developed strange and erratic psychiatric symptoms that baffled her doctors. At that time, Rhianna’s mum couldn’t have imagined that her daughter would get to where she is today, back home ...
15th February 2021
Several years ago, Natasha Penney shared the story of her toddler Sebastian, who was diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer at 18 months old. Now the six-year-old is thriving. To mark International Childhood Cancer Day, This Is MedTech decided ...
8th February 2021
Rising cycling star Matthew Robertson worried his epilepsy would stop him from achieving his dream: to cycle for Great Britain. To mark International Epilepsy Day, Matthew shares his story, as he continues to show his colours as part of the ...
28th January 2021
“Without the right diagnostics, frankly, I would have died,” says Global Liver Institute Founder, President and CEO Donna Cryer. Little wonder she now spends her time thinking about advancements in medical technologies, not only to optimise her own health but ...
22nd January 2021
“With or without diabetes, there’s nothing you can’t be,” says German field hockey Olympic champion and orthopaedic surgeon Carsten Fischer. But there was a time when Carsten – nicknamed The Man With the Hammer for his ferocious penalty corners – ...
19th January 2021
Karen Marks’ dream had always been to become a mum, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy. With the help of medical technology, she has overcome the obstacles that she faced and closed 2020 with the family she ...
13th January 2021
Jo Taylor’s situation is something of a double-edged sword. She relies on continuous treatment for secondary breast cancer to maintain a good quality of life, but she doesn’t want that treatment to take over her life. “I was ...
4th January 2021
Simon Leigh had nearly recovered from ankle surgery when he started experiencing intense pain and swelling on the same leg. X-rays and scans led his doctors to an unexpected diagnosis and a little-used medical procedure. “Investigative X-rays showed abnormal bone ...
11th December 2020
Kayleigh Haggo is living proof of her maxim, ‘you can achieve anything you set your mind to’. Fitting with this year’s World Cerebral Palsy Day theme, #CPMakeYourMark, 21-year-old Kayleigh is blazing a trail in the international para-sport of race ...
26th November 2020
Andy Braybrook’s life changed after a near-fatal accident left him permanently paralysed. Three years after his road collision, he is now back on the road and setting his sights even higher. Andy’s story started on the first fine ...
18th November 2020
Before the break in her foot, British middle-distance runner Bobby Clay had no indication that there was anything wrong with her bone health. “I had competed internationally in athletics from a young teenager all the way through to the end ...
3rd November 2020
Three years ago, I needed help getting dressed in the mornings. Now I am a Pilates devotee, living an active, balanced life. My journey with rheumatoid arthritis started out on an otherwise idyllic holiday in France, when I was 42 years ...
6th October 2020
To shine a light on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Karen Finn shares her story about the importance of breast screening. Last year, I was having some pain in my left breast and it felt like there were some physical changes, ...
29th September 2020
Despite an overwhelming diagnosis, David Stott returned to enjoying life, family time and staying fit, all while helping others with the same condition – the epitome of today’s World Heart Day message, ‘Use Heart … for society, your loved ones and ...
21st September 2020
Stelios Kympouropoulos, Psychiatrist and Greek Member of the European Parliament (MEP). I would encourage everyone to pursue their dreams and not let anything stand in their way. At the age of 14 months I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) ...
14th September 2020
When Dan Gay found out that he had a faulty heart valve, he faced the biggest challenge of his life: giving up basketball. The professional basketball player was competing at the World Championships when he collapsed on the court. “They ...
3rd September 2020
“I was fully able-bodied until I was eight. Then one day I woke up and couldn’t walk,” says British Paralympic wheelchair racer Nathan Maguire. It took about two weeks before doctors could confirm that Nathan had transverse myelitis, an ...
25th August 2020
For Katharina Bauer pole vaulting is her life’s passion — or as she says, “her big love.” The sport of pole vaulting is not for the faint of heart. Competitors sprint down a track and launch themselves into the air, ...
27th July 2020
When Ronni Marks found out she had Hepatitis C in 1996, there were no patient support groups and the internet was in its infancy. In other words, information was scarce. “My mother was having knee surgery and I went to donate ...
6th July 2020
It seems that everyone has felt the effects of coronavirus to a degree. But some people like Steve Radigan, who shares his story with This Is MedTech, have been impacted more than others. “My initial symptom was an infrequent dry ...
29th June 2020
“I didn't actually realise I had a health problem until I was about seven years old, when my mum told me I had to have an operation on my heart,” says Simone Gomes. This was devastating and confusing. “Even though ...
11th June 2020
Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft wasn’t expected to survive birth, let alone become a top professional athlete. “I had two cardiac arrests within my first 24 hours of life,” the 27-year-old Brit tells This Is MedTech. Doctors managed to resuscitate ...
27th May 2020
Michel Fornasier was born without his right hand. It may not be the most severe disability, but it is a highly visible one. The physical and emotional challenges this caused affected his confidence as a child. Now he has turned ...
18th March 2020
Scottish Member of Parliament David Linden has experienced twice what it’s like to have a child born prematurely. “It’s an incredibly traumatic experience,” he tells This Is MedTech. Although both of David’s children arrived six weeks early, ...
5th March 2020
Mike Rolls says his golf game is stronger as a bilateral amputee than it ever was when he had both his legs. The 37-year-old Australian has come a long way since a deadly infection called meningococcal septicaemia changed the trajectory ...
26th February 2020
Lara Chappell was in complete shock when her one-year-old son Pierre was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome. She’d been expressing concerns to multiple health professionals about her baby’s delayed development from the time he ...
20th February 2020
Migraines. Depression. Hot flushes. At 41, Tally Hatzakis didn’t know what was going on. She certainly didn’t suspect it could be the menopause. “Looking back, I think it all started with migraines,” Tally tells This Is MedTech. “I had ...
17th February 2020
Pádraig Ó Céidigh had recently been given a clean bill of health and led a healthy lifestyle, so when he began experiencing chest pain, ‘heart attack’ didn’t even enter his thoughts. “I’d gone to the gym at ...
9th February 2020
World Champion hurdler Dai Greene has lived with epilepsy since he was 16. To raise awareness on International Epilepsy Day, the Welsh athlete shares his story with This Is MedTech. “I’d been at a New Year’s Eve party and ...
4th February 2020
When Dave deBronkart had an x-ray for shoulder pain, he received some unexpected news. “The doctor said: ‘Your shoulder is going to be fine, but there’s something in your lung – we’re going to need to do a CT ...
28th January 2020
One phone call from her daughter’s school changed Csilla’s life forever. “The school said that my little girl was feeling ill, so I quickly finished a couple of things at work and rushed to the doctor with my ...
15th January 2020
“I am hopeful that a day will come when the suffering of thyroid patients will be a thing of the past,” says patient advocate and blogger Dana Trentini, aka Hypothyroid Mom. After the birth of her first child in 2006, Dana ...
3rd December 2019
Ami Ireland thought her hearing difficulties were just the remnants of a cold. At the time, she didn’t know this was the first in a series of symptoms that would leave her with permanent disabilities and change her life ...
28th November 2019
On World AIDS Day, author and Emmy Award winning AIDS activist Rae Lewis-Thornton talks about her decades-long journey with the disease and how medtech innovations have supported her. “I believe I was infected with HIV in 1983,” says Rae. “In the ...
20th November 2019
When Catherine Wines lost her appetite, she knew something wasn’t right. “Besides my appetite loss, which was very unusual for me, my urine and stools weren’t normal, so I went to the doctor,” she tells This Is MedTech. “...
15th November 2019
Six weeks before her baby’s due date, Holly Matthews went into hospital to get a headache checked out, not knowing she was going to become a mum much sooner than expected. “They did some tests like blood pressure and ...
24th October 2019
Sarah Thomas recently broke a world record by becoming the first person to swim the English Channel four times non-stop. What’s even more remarkable is that she did it just a year after completing life-saving treatment for an aggressive ...
21st October 2019
Dale Darley didn’t know that she had osteoporosis until she fractured her spine. The British author and book writing coach was living her dream in the hills of Spain when her life changed in an instant. “I suddenly heard ...
16th October 2019
As an elite skier training for the Olympics, Janine Shepherd had built her entire world around sports…until the day she woke up in hospital paralysed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury. While out cycling on ...
11th October 2019
On World Obesity Day, Stefanie Wirtz opens up about her personal struggle with obesity and the turning point that led her to undergo bariatric surgery. “I’ve lived with obesity since childhood, and like most of those affected, I’ve ...
24th September 2019
Anneliese Kopp was always determined to live a full life. Just a few weeks short of her 85th birthday, after 40 years living in Hersel, Germany, she makes it clear that she is a woman of few regrets. ‘I’ve had ...
18th September 2019
As we stride into September marking a new Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Jemela Williams discusses the disease she’s lived with her whole life and shares her hopes for a future world that better understands it. When Jemela was just ...
11th September 2019
Phil Crow went into hospital for a gallstone removal procedure expecting to be home the next day. Two months later he was still there, fighting for his life after complications led to sepsis. 'In July 2010 I was admitted to hospital ...
22nd July 2019
Marianella is a 38-year-old editor and a keen athlete from Costa Rica. In January 2015, she woke up with a terrible headache, but managed to go to work. Around midday her headache retuned with such force that it knocked her out. ‘...
9th July 2019
After being hooked up to an antibiotics drip in hospital for three weeks, David John Watson had had enough. However, the life-threatening blood poisoning that he’d developed meant another few weeks of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment was necessary. It ...
4th July 2019
At age 84, Gerry Phelan thought his breathlessness and fatigue were part of the ageing process, but the symptoms were due to a serious heart condition. Gerry had always been an active man, even after undergoing triple bypass surgery in 2005. However, ...
24th June 2019
Atrial Fibrillation affects millions of lives everywhere around the Globe. Nina Lapshinova, 71 years old patient from Russia, couldn’t think of anything but her disease until she was advised to go through minimally invasive catheter ablation. “It was not about ...
17th June 2019
Serbian tennis pro Nenad Zimonjić talks to MedTechWeek about the total hip replacement surgery that enabled him to continue his career. “It started at Wimbledon in 2009, when I was 33 and ranked number one in the world. After one of the ...
12th June 2019
33-year-old Stuart White was paralysed on his left-hand-side and struggling to speak, following a stroke in the early hours of the morning. After a minimally-invasive procedure, the clot was removed and he walked out of hospital within 24 hours without symptoms. “...
27th May 2019
When Susan Small found out she had Lyme disease, she was in a state of disbelief. She spent most of her time in the city and had never even seen a tick. “I was infected following a tick bite after ...
20th May 2019
When you’re a young adult, the last thing you’re thinking about is arthritis. Robin Hughes and his daughter Eleanor certainly didn’t have it on their minds. But they didn’t have osteoarthritis, the type generally associated with ...
10th May 2019
Kim Opszala thought her eczema had returned when a rash appeared on her face, but it was a disease called lupus. She’d been travelling around Australia before starting university in 2005/06 and upon her return Kim noticed the butterfly-shaped rash ...
15th April 2019
When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot of talk about the “birth plan” – basically a blueprint for how you’d like the baby’s delivery to go in an ideal scenario. But sometimes life doesn’t cooperate and that’...
11th April 2019
When Karen Missenden started having faint tremors in her arm, she had a feeling it wasn’t related to the shoulder surgery she’d undergone a few months earlier. “I went to the GP and had some tests done, but ...
5th April 2019
British author and disability advocate Alice Barker is keen to express her gratitude for the healthcare and medtech “that have enabled me to lead a rich and blessed life.” As someone who has relied heavily on specialised medical care and ...
26th March 2019
Every year, and across the continent, tens of thousands of European citizens older than 50, are invited to participate in a colorectal cancer screening programme. Unfortunately, only in Slovenia, the Netherlands and the Basque country, the vast majority of citizens participate ...
20th March 2019
Bob Bevins was doubtful that surgery could restore his speech and ability to swallow after being diagnosed with oral cancer, but he was willing to try. After all, this was no straightforward operation. It involved a complex 10-hour procedure to ...
12th March 2019
As a full-time carer for her husband, Katy Styles couldn’t afford to lose her eyesight to glaucoma. “My mother has glaucoma, my grandfather and both grandmothers had glaucoma, so I have always been aware of the condition,” Katy tells ...
4th March 2019
“My mum discovered I had a hearing issue when she gave me the phone to speak to my Gran one day and I hung up because to me there was no-one there. I think I was around four or five.” ...
28th February 2019
Gunnar Esiason just celebrated a major milestone: his good health. When you have cystic fibrosis (CF) – a rare genetic disease that creates a build-up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs that can lead to ...
14th February 2019
If it doesn’t hurt, there’s nothing to worry about…right? Wrong. Michiko Shah saved her vision when she decided to get some painless eye symptoms checked out. “One morning last summer I was walking to the train station ...
4th February 2019
When This Is MedTech interviewed Fabian Bolin as he was undergoing leukaemia treatment in 2015, we knew this guy was a force to be reckoned with. Now fully recovered, he wants to tackle the issue of mental health by creating the ...
29th January 2019
Champion miniature golfer Richard Gottfried spent years feeling ill before he discovered that he had coeliac disease and gradually regained his health. Believing he had a common digestive disorder called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Richard took IBS medication to ease ...
24th January 2019
At age 29 and with no symptoms, cervical cancer was the last thing on Laura Flaherty’s mind, but she knew she was due for her regular screening. “I’d been given the ‘all clear’ after my last smear test three ...
20th December 2018
‘Tis the season for travelling, enjoying festive celebrations, shopping till we drop and… sore feet. Our feet are some of the hardest working parts of our body, yet we often take little notice of them until they start hurting. Particularly ...
18th December 2018
When Jennifer Rout had an attack of vertigo on holiday, it turned her world upside down – both literally and figuratively. Nearly six years later, life is pretty much normal again, but it’s been a long journey. “In January 2013, whilst ...
3rd December 2018
British wheelchair basketball paralympian Laurie Williams has a big list of achievements. Despite being diagnosed with a debilitating nerve condition called motor neuropathy as a toddler following an undiagnosed virus, Laurie later shot to fame on the basketball court, where ...
28th November 2018
Andrew Gámez-Heath didn’t hesitate to get tested for HIV. Little did he know that an unexpected outcome would lead him down the path to patient advocacy. “I had just started a new relationship and thought I would go ...
22nd November 2018
Former marathon runner, Martin Taylor, was left frustrated and low when Atrial Fibrillation (AF) stopped him in his tracks. But a minimally invasive medical procedure has ensured he’s back to pounding the pavements. “I have an office job, I ...
20th November 2018
You don’t usually come across a triathlete with severe lung disease, but Russell Winwood is great at busting stereotypes. The Australian blogger has come a long way since being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2011, which left ...
23rd October 2018
No two women are the same, and neither are their breast cancers. Cutting-edge genomic tests can therefore be valuable tools for determining the best treatment for YOU. Christine S. from France tells her story about the test that helped her ...
15th October 2018
Donna Roberts is one of the approximately 350 million people worldwide who have arthritis, but the self-proclaimed “queen of the to-do list” doesn’t let that get in the way of her busy life. It started nearly 18 years ago, when Donna ...
11th October 2018
Marina Biglia’s obesity story began with denial, moved to acceptance, and eventually – with the help of bariatric surgery – led to recovery. Now she’s a role model and champion for others who are traveling down the same challenging path. ...
4th October 2018
Pascal has been managing kidney disease for his entire adult life. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing his passion for caravanning and kite surfing. “As a physicist, I’ve always been driven by curiosity. But in order to ...
29th September 2018
When Brenda Walker learned that she had a high-risk heart condition at 77, she wasn’t about to let it get in the way of completing her PhD. A minimally invasive medical procedure made it possible to continue her studies uninterrupted ...
28th July 2018
Until a few years ago, Michelle Tolley was one of the approximately 300 million people who are unaware that they carry viral hepatitis. Now she’s on a quest to help find the rest of the ‘missing millions’. Despite having contracted ...
4th June 2018
Claudia Weber (53) loves outdoor sports and a few years ago started up her own small company for workwear. In 2009 she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. She didn’t decide to have a hip replacement until 8 years later – when the pain ...
25th April 2018
I’d never seen it this bad. Jessie was covered in rash and scratching nonstop. My 12-year-old daughter was having her worst ever flare-up of eczema (or atopic dermatitis), an inherited skin condition that disrupts the skin’s barrier and ...
30th March 2018
In his job as ‘The Gadget Man’ Matt Porter tests and reviews cool techie stuff, but gadgets also play a critical role in his personal life. They support the unique needs of his 7-year-old twins James and Grace, who have ...
23rd March 2018
Ten years ago, Londoner Steve Bradley was shocked to find out that he was infected with tuberculosis (TB) following a lengthy period of testing and misdiagnosis. “Nobody even thought it could be TB,” the former TV project engineer tells This ...
3rd March 2018
This blog is part of the Early Diagnosis campaign #BeFirst Early diagnosis and care can prevent illness from developing and slow disease progression. Lab tests, genetic tests, tests for chronic diseases and modern lab diagnostics can help facilitate earlier intervention ...
5th January 2018
Year-end is often a time for reflection and expressing gratitude. For Karen Phillips, the customised tracheostomy tube that allows her son Michael to breathe is at the top of her list of things to be thankful for. Michael was nine ...
1st December 2017
December 1st isn’t just a reminder that the winter holidays are nearly here. It’s an opportunity to show solidarity with over 36 million people who are living with HIV worldwide, and to remind the public and governments that it ...
24th November 2017
When he was born, Marc’s mother thought his vision problem was the result of medication she had taken while pregnant. Now, 60 years later, he knows his condition is genetic – and an innovative ‘bionic eye’ has given him the chance ...
2nd November 2017
“It was mostly a beautiful and powerful experience growing up with a prosthetic hand,” says Keith Xander, the lead singer and guitarist of Xander and the Peace Pirates. “It was a feeling of being different, but others would seem to ...
31st October 2017
Art of life is an evening reception organised by MedTech Europe in partnership with EU40 in the European Parliament on Wednesday 22 November 2017 from 6.00pm until 8.00pm. This event will be hosted by the honourable Members of the European Parliament, Brando ...
26th October 2017
“Hearing with only one ear is like living in a black and white world without knowing that somewhere else colours exist,” explains Johanna Pätzold. When the singer became deaf in her right ear as a result of meningitis at ...
19th October 2017
When Mel Reis lost part of her leg, the Brazilian ballerina saw it as a perfect opportunity to get back ‘en pointe’. Ever since her left leg was crushed in a road accident as a teenager, Mel had continued to ...
11th October 2017
Gary Finnegan asks consultant ophthalmologist Keith Barton how glaucoma care has changed over the past 20 years and what the future holds Outcomes for glaucoma patients are better than ever thanks to specialisation in ophthalmology and advances in diagnostics, medication and ...
21st September 2017
Giacomina was a little anxious about her first ever operation, until her doctor explained that it was the most common procedure in Europe Giacomina Bruno had lived for almost 70 years without ever encountering a surgeon’s scalpel. But two years ...
4th October 2018
Pascal has been managing kidney disease for his entire adult life. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing his passion for caravanning and kite surfing. “As a physicist, I’ve always been driven by curiosity. But in order to ...
18th September 2019
As we stride into September marking a new Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Jemela Williams discusses the disease she’s lived with her whole life and shares her hopes for a future world that better understands it. When Jemela was just ...
18th June 2021
Kevin Wake’s mother taught him to become a Sickle Cell Disease expert from a young age. Today, the seasoned patient advocate shares his story with This Is MedTech to mark World Sickle Cell Day. “I was diagnosed when I ...
16th June 2021
“They knew I had thalassemia even before I was born, and they knew it was major,” says Amit Ghelani. But with an effective treatment plan, including regular blood transfusions and routine monitoring, Amit, now 35, lives what he happily describes as ...
17th May 2021
At 43, health researcher Nicola McMeekin was blissfully unaware of her hypertension until she had a life-threatening heart injury. “There was no warning. I was sitting at my desk writing an email when I suddenly had pains in my chest, down ...
10th May 2021
Four-year-old Oliver Hardwell shows that he is not going to let pontocerebellar hypoplasia – PCH – hold him back. Oliver is one in a million if not one in a billion. While his diagnosis is not clear cut, genetic tests suggest that ...
3rd May 2021
For Lottie Drynan, having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) came with some unexpected turns. Despite experiencing a host of symptoms that significantly impact her quality of life, Lottie has found huge comfort in her blossoming role as an award-winning IBS patient ...
28th April 2021
Stewart Armstrong is a force to be reckoned with. Not satisfied with taming his sarcoidosis and life-threatening aspergillosis, last year he demonstrated just what can be achieved, by climbing the height of Mount Everest. Stewart’s health journey started about ...
15th April 2021
“Haemophilia shouldn’t limit what people do,” says Clive Smith, qualified barrister, prominent haemophilia patient advocate and keen sportsman. As if to reinforce his point, Clive has not only competed for Great Britain in the European duathlon championships but is ...
29th March 2021
Daniela Knecht had been suffering knee pain for years when she went looking for a way to continue living her full and active life. The first day after her surgery, she was up and about and feeling fantastic. “You know ...
29th March 2021
Keisha Meek and Nikita Chadha bonded under unusual circumstances. The women met through a shared chronic condition called endometriosis. Like many people with this debilitating gynaecological disorder, it took Keisha and Nikita many years to get a diagnosis. Now they ...
24th March 2021
Five years ago, British local election candidate Samara Barnes was astonished to learn that her persistent cough was tuberculosis (TB). To mark World TB Day, Samara shares her story with This Is MedTech. “I had had a cough for a ...
19th February 2021
Rhianna Urquhart was just starting university when she developed strange and erratic psychiatric symptoms that baffled her doctors. At that time, Rhianna’s mum couldn’t have imagined that her daughter would get to where she is today, back home ...
15th February 2021
Several years ago, Natasha Penney shared the story of her toddler Sebastian, who was diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer at 18 months old. Now the six-year-old is thriving. To mark International Childhood Cancer Day, This Is MedTech decided ...
8th February 2021
Rising cycling star Matthew Robertson worried his epilepsy would stop him from achieving his dream: to cycle for Great Britain. To mark International Epilepsy Day, Matthew shares his story, as he continues to show his colours as part of the ...
28th January 2021
“Without the right diagnostics, frankly, I would have died,” says Global Liver Institute Founder, President and CEO Donna Cryer. Little wonder she now spends her time thinking about advancements in medical technologies, not only to optimise her own health but ...
22nd January 2021
“With or without diabetes, there’s nothing you can’t be,” says German field hockey Olympic champion and orthopaedic surgeon Carsten Fischer. But there was a time when Carsten – nicknamed The Man With the Hammer for his ferocious penalty corners – ...
19th January 2021
Karen Marks’ dream had always been to become a mum, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy. With the help of medical technology, she has overcome the obstacles that she faced and closed 2020 with the family she ...
13th January 2021
Jo Taylor’s situation is something of a double-edged sword. She relies on continuous treatment for secondary breast cancer to maintain a good quality of life, but she doesn’t want that treatment to take over her life. “I was ...
4th January 2021
Simon Leigh had nearly recovered from ankle surgery when he started experiencing intense pain and swelling on the same leg. X-rays and scans led his doctors to an unexpected diagnosis and a little-used medical procedure. “Investigative X-rays showed abnormal bone ...
11th December 2020
Kayleigh Haggo is living proof of her maxim, ‘you can achieve anything you set your mind to’. Fitting with this year’s World Cerebral Palsy Day theme, #CPMakeYourMark, 21-year-old Kayleigh is blazing a trail in the international para-sport of race ...
26th November 2020
Andy Braybrook’s life changed after a near-fatal accident left him permanently paralysed. Three years after his road collision, he is now back on the road and setting his sights even higher. Andy’s story started on the first fine ...
18th November 2020
Before the break in her foot, British middle-distance runner Bobby Clay had no indication that there was anything wrong with her bone health. “I had competed internationally in athletics from a young teenager all the way through to the end ...
3rd November 2020
Three years ago, I needed help getting dressed in the mornings. Now I am a Pilates devotee, living an active, balanced life. My journey with rheumatoid arthritis started out on an otherwise idyllic holiday in France, when I was 42 years ...
6th October 2020
To shine a light on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Karen Finn shares her story about the importance of breast screening. Last year, I was having some pain in my left breast and it felt like there were some physical changes, ...
29th September 2020
Despite an overwhelming diagnosis, David Stott returned to enjoying life, family time and staying fit, all while helping others with the same condition – the epitome of today’s World Heart Day message, ‘Use Heart … for society, your loved ones and ...
21st September 2020
Stelios Kympouropoulos, Psychiatrist and Greek Member of the European Parliament (MEP). I would encourage everyone to pursue their dreams and not let anything stand in their way. At the age of 14 months I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) ...
14th September 2020
When Dan Gay found out that he had a faulty heart valve, he faced the biggest challenge of his life: giving up basketball. The professional basketball player was competing at the World Championships when he collapsed on the court. “They ...
3rd September 2020
“I was fully able-bodied until I was eight. Then one day I woke up and couldn’t walk,” says British Paralympic wheelchair racer Nathan Maguire. It took about two weeks before doctors could confirm that Nathan had transverse myelitis, an ...
25th August 2020
For Katharina Bauer pole vaulting is her life’s passion — or as she says, “her big love.” The sport of pole vaulting is not for the faint of heart. Competitors sprint down a track and launch themselves into the air, ...
27th July 2020
When Ronni Marks found out she had Hepatitis C in 1996, there were no patient support groups and the internet was in its infancy. In other words, information was scarce. “My mother was having knee surgery and I went to donate ...
6th July 2020
It seems that everyone has felt the effects of coronavirus to a degree. But some people like Steve Radigan, who shares his story with This Is MedTech, have been impacted more than others. “My initial symptom was an infrequent dry ...
29th June 2020
“I didn't actually realise I had a health problem until I was about seven years old, when my mum told me I had to have an operation on my heart,” says Simone Gomes. This was devastating and confusing. “Even though ...
11th June 2020
Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft wasn’t expected to survive birth, let alone become a top professional athlete. “I had two cardiac arrests within my first 24 hours of life,” the 27-year-old Brit tells This Is MedTech. Doctors managed to resuscitate ...
27th May 2020
Michel Fornasier was born without his right hand. It may not be the most severe disability, but it is a highly visible one. The physical and emotional challenges this caused affected his confidence as a child. Now he has turned ...
18th March 2020
Scottish Member of Parliament David Linden has experienced twice what it’s like to have a child born prematurely. “It’s an incredibly traumatic experience,” he tells This Is MedTech. Although both of David’s children arrived six weeks early, ...
5th March 2020
Mike Rolls says his golf game is stronger as a bilateral amputee than it ever was when he had both his legs. The 37-year-old Australian has come a long way since a deadly infection called meningococcal septicaemia changed the trajectory ...
26th February 2020
Lara Chappell was in complete shock when her one-year-old son Pierre was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome. She’d been expressing concerns to multiple health professionals about her baby’s delayed development from the time he ...
20th February 2020
Migraines. Depression. Hot flushes. At 41, Tally Hatzakis didn’t know what was going on. She certainly didn’t suspect it could be the menopause. “Looking back, I think it all started with migraines,” Tally tells This Is MedTech. “I had ...
17th February 2020
Pádraig Ó Céidigh had recently been given a clean bill of health and led a healthy lifestyle, so when he began experiencing chest pain, ‘heart attack’ didn’t even enter his thoughts. “I’d gone to the gym at ...
9th February 2020
World Champion hurdler Dai Greene has lived with epilepsy since he was 16. To raise awareness on International Epilepsy Day, the Welsh athlete shares his story with This Is MedTech. “I’d been at a New Year’s Eve party and ...
4th February 2020
When Dave deBronkart had an x-ray for shoulder pain, he received some unexpected news. “The doctor said: ‘Your shoulder is going to be fine, but there’s something in your lung – we’re going to need to do a CT ...
28th January 2020
One phone call from her daughter’s school changed Csilla’s life forever. “The school said that my little girl was feeling ill, so I quickly finished a couple of things at work and rushed to the doctor with my ...
15th January 2020
“I am hopeful that a day will come when the suffering of thyroid patients will be a thing of the past,” says patient advocate and blogger Dana Trentini, aka Hypothyroid Mom. After the birth of her first child in 2006, Dana ...
3rd December 2019
Ami Ireland thought her hearing difficulties were just the remnants of a cold. At the time, she didn’t know this was the first in a series of symptoms that would leave her with permanent disabilities and change her life ...
28th November 2019
On World AIDS Day, author and Emmy Award winning AIDS activist Rae Lewis-Thornton talks about her decades-long journey with the disease and how medtech innovations have supported her. “I believe I was infected with HIV in 1983,” says Rae. “In the ...
20th November 2019
When Catherine Wines lost her appetite, she knew something wasn’t right. “Besides my appetite loss, which was very unusual for me, my urine and stools weren’t normal, so I went to the doctor,” she tells This Is MedTech. “...
15th November 2019
Six weeks before her baby’s due date, Holly Matthews went into hospital to get a headache checked out, not knowing she was going to become a mum much sooner than expected. “They did some tests like blood pressure and ...
24th October 2019
Sarah Thomas recently broke a world record by becoming the first person to swim the English Channel four times non-stop. What’s even more remarkable is that she did it just a year after completing life-saving treatment for an aggressive ...
21st October 2019
Dale Darley didn’t know that she had osteoporosis until she fractured her spine. The British author and book writing coach was living her dream in the hills of Spain when her life changed in an instant. “I suddenly heard ...
16th October 2019
As an elite skier training for the Olympics, Janine Shepherd had built her entire world around sports…until the day she woke up in hospital paralysed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury. While out cycling on ...
11th October 2019
On World Obesity Day, Stefanie Wirtz opens up about her personal struggle with obesity and the turning point that led her to undergo bariatric surgery. “I’ve lived with obesity since childhood, and like most of those affected, I’ve ...
24th September 2019
Anneliese Kopp was always determined to live a full life. Just a few weeks short of her 85th birthday, after 40 years living in Hersel, Germany, she makes it clear that she is a woman of few regrets. ‘I’ve had ...
11th September 2019
Phil Crow went into hospital for a gallstone removal procedure expecting to be home the next day. Two months later he was still there, fighting for his life after complications led to sepsis. 'In July 2010 I was admitted to hospital ...
22nd July 2019
Marianella is a 38-year-old editor and a keen athlete from Costa Rica. In January 2015, she woke up with a terrible headache, but managed to go to work. Around midday her headache retuned with such force that it knocked her out. ‘...
9th July 2019
After being hooked up to an antibiotics drip in hospital for three weeks, David John Watson had had enough. However, the life-threatening blood poisoning that he’d developed meant another few weeks of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment was necessary. It ...
4th July 2019
At age 84, Gerry Phelan thought his breathlessness and fatigue were part of the ageing process, but the symptoms were due to a serious heart condition. Gerry had always been an active man, even after undergoing triple bypass surgery in 2005. However, ...
24th June 2019
Atrial Fibrillation affects millions of lives everywhere around the Globe. Nina Lapshinova, 71 years old patient from Russia, couldn’t think of anything but her disease until she was advised to go through minimally invasive catheter ablation. “It was not about ...
17th June 2019
Serbian tennis pro Nenad Zimonjić talks to MedTechWeek about the total hip replacement surgery that enabled him to continue his career. “It started at Wimbledon in 2009, when I was 33 and ranked number one in the world. After one of the ...
12th June 2019
33-year-old Stuart White was paralysed on his left-hand-side and struggling to speak, following a stroke in the early hours of the morning. After a minimally-invasive procedure, the clot was removed and he walked out of hospital within 24 hours without symptoms. “...
27th May 2019
When Susan Small found out she had Lyme disease, she was in a state of disbelief. She spent most of her time in the city and had never even seen a tick. “I was infected following a tick bite after ...
20th May 2019
When you’re a young adult, the last thing you’re thinking about is arthritis. Robin Hughes and his daughter Eleanor certainly didn’t have it on their minds. But they didn’t have osteoarthritis, the type generally associated with ...
10th May 2019
Kim Opszala thought her eczema had returned when a rash appeared on her face, but it was a disease called lupus. She’d been travelling around Australia before starting university in 2005/06 and upon her return Kim noticed the butterfly-shaped rash ...
15th April 2019
When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot of talk about the “birth plan” – basically a blueprint for how you’d like the baby’s delivery to go in an ideal scenario. But sometimes life doesn’t cooperate and that’...
11th April 2019
When Karen Missenden started having faint tremors in her arm, she had a feeling it wasn’t related to the shoulder surgery she’d undergone a few months earlier. “I went to the GP and had some tests done, but ...
5th April 2019
British author and disability advocate Alice Barker is keen to express her gratitude for the healthcare and medtech “that have enabled me to lead a rich and blessed life.” As someone who has relied heavily on specialised medical care and ...
26th March 2019
Every year, and across the continent, tens of thousands of European citizens older than 50, are invited to participate in a colorectal cancer screening programme. Unfortunately, only in Slovenia, the Netherlands and the Basque country, the vast majority of citizens participate ...
20th March 2019
Bob Bevins was doubtful that surgery could restore his speech and ability to swallow after being diagnosed with oral cancer, but he was willing to try. After all, this was no straightforward operation. It involved a complex 10-hour procedure to ...
12th March 2019
As a full-time carer for her husband, Katy Styles couldn’t afford to lose her eyesight to glaucoma. “My mother has glaucoma, my grandfather and both grandmothers had glaucoma, so I have always been aware of the condition,” Katy tells ...
4th March 2019
“My mum discovered I had a hearing issue when she gave me the phone to speak to my Gran one day and I hung up because to me there was no-one there. I think I was around four or five.” ...
28th February 2019
Gunnar Esiason just celebrated a major milestone: his good health. When you have cystic fibrosis (CF) – a rare genetic disease that creates a build-up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs that can lead to ...
14th February 2019
If it doesn’t hurt, there’s nothing to worry about…right? Wrong. Michiko Shah saved her vision when she decided to get some painless eye symptoms checked out. “One morning last summer I was walking to the train station ...
4th February 2019
When This Is MedTech interviewed Fabian Bolin as he was undergoing leukaemia treatment in 2015, we knew this guy was a force to be reckoned with. Now fully recovered, he wants to tackle the issue of mental health by creating the ...
29th January 2019
Champion miniature golfer Richard Gottfried spent years feeling ill before he discovered that he had coeliac disease and gradually regained his health. Believing he had a common digestive disorder called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Richard took IBS medication to ease ...
24th January 2019
At age 29 and with no symptoms, cervical cancer was the last thing on Laura Flaherty’s mind, but she knew she was due for her regular screening. “I’d been given the ‘all clear’ after my last smear test three ...
20th December 2018
‘Tis the season for travelling, enjoying festive celebrations, shopping till we drop and… sore feet. Our feet are some of the hardest working parts of our body, yet we often take little notice of them until they start hurting. Particularly ...
18th December 2018
When Jennifer Rout had an attack of vertigo on holiday, it turned her world upside down – both literally and figuratively. Nearly six years later, life is pretty much normal again, but it’s been a long journey. “In January 2013, whilst ...
3rd December 2018
British wheelchair basketball paralympian Laurie Williams has a big list of achievements. Despite being diagnosed with a debilitating nerve condition called motor neuropathy as a toddler following an undiagnosed virus, Laurie later shot to fame on the basketball court, where ...
28th November 2018
Andrew Gámez-Heath didn’t hesitate to get tested for HIV. Little did he know that an unexpected outcome would lead him down the path to patient advocacy. “I had just started a new relationship and thought I would go ...
22nd November 2018
Former marathon runner, Martin Taylor, was left frustrated and low when Atrial Fibrillation (AF) stopped him in his tracks. But a minimally invasive medical procedure has ensured he’s back to pounding the pavements. “I have an office job, I ...
20th November 2018
You don’t usually come across a triathlete with severe lung disease, but Russell Winwood is great at busting stereotypes. The Australian blogger has come a long way since being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2011, which left ...
23rd October 2018
No two women are the same, and neither are their breast cancers. Cutting-edge genomic tests can therefore be valuable tools for determining the best treatment for YOU. Christine S. from France tells her story about the test that helped her ...
15th October 2018
Donna Roberts is one of the approximately 350 million people worldwide who have arthritis, but the self-proclaimed “queen of the to-do list” doesn’t let that get in the way of her busy life. It started nearly 18 years ago, when Donna ...
11th October 2018
Marina Biglia’s obesity story began with denial, moved to acceptance, and eventually – with the help of bariatric surgery – led to recovery. Now she’s a role model and champion for others who are traveling down the same challenging path. ...
29th September 2018
When Brenda Walker learned that she had a high-risk heart condition at 77, she wasn’t about to let it get in the way of completing her PhD. A minimally invasive medical procedure made it possible to continue her studies uninterrupted ...
28th July 2018
Until a few years ago, Michelle Tolley was one of the approximately 300 million people who are unaware that they carry viral hepatitis. Now she’s on a quest to help find the rest of the ‘missing millions’. Despite having contracted ...
4th June 2018
Claudia Weber (53) loves outdoor sports and a few years ago started up her own small company for workwear. In 2009 she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. She didn’t decide to have a hip replacement until 8 years later – when the pain ...
25th April 2018
I’d never seen it this bad. Jessie was covered in rash and scratching nonstop. My 12-year-old daughter was having her worst ever flare-up of eczema (or atopic dermatitis), an inherited skin condition that disrupts the skin’s barrier and ...
30th March 2018
In his job as ‘The Gadget Man’ Matt Porter tests and reviews cool techie stuff, but gadgets also play a critical role in his personal life. They support the unique needs of his 7-year-old twins James and Grace, who have ...
23rd March 2018
Ten years ago, Londoner Steve Bradley was shocked to find out that he was infected with tuberculosis (TB) following a lengthy period of testing and misdiagnosis. “Nobody even thought it could be TB,” the former TV project engineer tells This ...
3rd March 2018
This blog is part of the Early Diagnosis campaign #BeFirst Early diagnosis and care can prevent illness from developing and slow disease progression. Lab tests, genetic tests, tests for chronic diseases and modern lab diagnostics can help facilitate earlier intervention ...
5th January 2018
Year-end is often a time for reflection and expressing gratitude. For Karen Phillips, the customised tracheostomy tube that allows her son Michael to breathe is at the top of her list of things to be thankful for. Michael was nine ...
1st December 2017
December 1st isn’t just a reminder that the winter holidays are nearly here. It’s an opportunity to show solidarity with over 36 million people who are living with HIV worldwide, and to remind the public and governments that it ...
24th November 2017
When he was born, Marc’s mother thought his vision problem was the result of medication she had taken while pregnant. Now, 60 years later, he knows his condition is genetic – and an innovative ‘bionic eye’ has given him the chance ...
2nd November 2017
“It was mostly a beautiful and powerful experience growing up with a prosthetic hand,” says Keith Xander, the lead singer and guitarist of Xander and the Peace Pirates. “It was a feeling of being different, but others would seem to ...
31st October 2017
Art of life is an evening reception organised by MedTech Europe in partnership with EU40 in the European Parliament on Wednesday 22 November 2017 from 6.00pm until 8.00pm. This event will be hosted by the honourable Members of the European Parliament, Brando ...
26th October 2017
“Hearing with only one ear is like living in a black and white world without knowing that somewhere else colours exist,” explains Johanna Pätzold. When the singer became deaf in her right ear as a result of meningitis at ...
19th October 2017
When Mel Reis lost part of her leg, the Brazilian ballerina saw it as a perfect opportunity to get back ‘en pointe’. Ever since her left leg was crushed in a road accident as a teenager, Mel had continued to ...
11th October 2017
Gary Finnegan asks consultant ophthalmologist Keith Barton how glaucoma care has changed over the past 20 years and what the future holds Outcomes for glaucoma patients are better than ever thanks to specialisation in ophthalmology and advances in diagnostics, medication and ...
21st September 2017
Giacomina was a little anxious about her first ever operation, until her doctor explained that it was the most common procedure in Europe Giacomina Bruno had lived for almost 70 years without ever encountering a surgeon’s scalpel. But two years ...
31st August 2017
Have you ever wondered if ancient technology is still relevant to MedTech today? Let us surprise you! While there is still enough conjecture about the mystery holes in the skull that apparently worked as aspirin to cure everything from epilepsy ...
29th June 2017
Carina had been wearing glasses or contacts since she was a kid. Now, artificial lenses implanted in her eye give her the freedom to enjoy life – and her work (as an optician!) [caption id="attachment_1942" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo credits: ...
From pregnancy tests and artificial retinas to prosthetic legs and bionic exoskeletons, we cover the stories behind the medical technologies that changes and saves lives and the people whose lives will never be the same because of it them. We’re sponsored by MedTech Europe, the European trade association representing the medical technology industries, from diagnosis to cure. However we’re not here to sell products or brands or give health advice. Instead, we’re here to talk about the tech that weaves itself into our lives at the moments we’d least expect—we’re here to answer the question “what is MedTech”
Our editorial team works with independent journalists from around the globe to cover the MedTech-centric stories other outlets tend to miss. We like to think of ourselves as one part tech blog, three parts family mag.