nuclear-news

 

A soldier who developed a deadly illness after being exposed to uranium in Iraq is facing a race against time to raise the money she needs for potentially life-saving treatment

Katrina Brown, 30, was exposed to radioactive material while serving as a medic at a 600-bed military clinic in Basra in 2003.

She was diagnosed with rare systemic sclerosis in 2008 which is slowly attacking her major organs – and will eventually lead to her death if left untreated.

Mrs Brown, who joined the Army at the age of 17, believes the illness is linked to exposure to depleted uranium. 

She was handed a card before flying home from her 2003 tour warning her she had been in contact with radioactive materials.

She currently survives on 18 pills a day, costing over £3,000 a month.

Now, she believes her only hope is to have a stem-cell transplant in a bid to regenerate her organs.

But the procedure is not available on the NHS and the health service has said it cannot pay for her transatlantic care.

She is is now trying to find £110,000 to fly out for an operation in America after being turned down for funding by a host of charities.

Mrs Brown, who lives with her husband Martin in Gloucestershire, said she still holds on to the dream of returning to her Army career.

She said: ‘Since I was diagnosed, everything’s been a battle – as well as battling the illness I’ve been fighting to try and access the right treatment.

‘Now we’ve been offered this ray of light but obviously we need help to raise the money.

‘I’ve lost about 90 per cent of my mobility and the longer I live with the illness, the more I’m deteriorating physically, but I know I can’t give up.’