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Cancer isn’t a death sentence but any patient hearing that diagnosis is thrown into a terminal state of worry. And it was no different for 44 year old Susan Wu. She was told she had cancer, and after sleepless nights, spending thousands of dollars on medication, and traveling halfway around the world for treatment – she found out she didn’t, it was all a misdiagnosis. But now she’s saying that the woman who made the diagnosis was not fit to do so in the first place. Keith Swift has her story.

Keith Swift Reporting,
This is what you’ll find Susan Wu doing most days – working hard inside her wood work factory in Camalote Village. The 44 year old mother of two looks healthy but four months ago she had stomach problems and was told she had terminal cancer.

Susan Wu, Misdiagnosed
“She told my husband I am very serious so I hurried and went to Belize City for the check up. The doctor in Belize City told us my stomach is normal, it is okay, it is very good and when we took the picture back to her and she says, she pointed out different things that she said were very bad.”

So bad that Wu bought these boxes containing dozens of bottles of medication. She was told they would help but they didn’t.

Susan Wu,
“She gave my different medicines and every time the different medicines gave me a different reaction. Once I even had diarrhoea for over a month and sometimes one part feels a bit better but another part felt really bad.”

And that’s why Susan Wu went to Taiwan.

Susan Wu,
“After I went back to Taiwan the doctor did the check up and everything and they told us it was just an ulcer in the stomach.”

Keith Swift,
So point blank, the doctor in Taiwan says she does not have cancer?

Susan Wu,
“No.”

An ulcer – not cancer. But there was one more surprise for Susan Wu. The woman who sold her all these bottles of herbs – wasn’t a doctor. That woman is `Shirley Jan. We tracked down Shirley to her home here on Moho Street in Belmopan. There is no doctor sign here because Shirley says she is not a doctor and she is not practicing medicine. She says Mr. and Mrs. came to her for advice and as any good friend would, she gave it to them.

Shirley Jan,
“Mrs. Wu, many gases came out of the stomach, so I said you need to go to the doctor and they need to check for more detail. Not cancer.”

Keith Swift,
You didn’t tell her she had cancer?

Shirley Jan,
“No because that it is not easy to do, it is not easy to show it is cancer. Cancer, you must check more more more.”

Keith Swift,
She doesn’t have a sign in front of her house that says she is a doctor and you chose to go there and sought her help.

Steve Wu, Susan’s Husband
“Everybody calls her Dr. Jan and she never denied it. Also her actions are like a doctor. She does all the medical service; check your pulse, check your eyes, and everything.”

Keith Swift,
If I come here feeling bad, if I come here with a stomach ache, will you tell me well Keith you should take cinnamon or you should take this or you should take that? Will you give me advice?

Shirley Jan,
“Umm if you need but I would just give you advice.”

Keith Swift,
But that’s being a doctor, you can’t do that because you’re not licensed.

Shirley Jan,
“I have a license but I don’t do anything for business. Sometimes your stomach is uncomfortable and you tell your mother and she would give you advice. Your friend would give you advice. That is nature; if you are my friend I will give you advice.”

But Shirley Jan is giving more than advice. She wrote these prescriptions and sold Susan Wu all these bottles of medication. Jan says these are just herbs.

Shirley Jan,
“This is ginger, you can smell it. This is cinnamon, which you can find in the kitchen. Because in Taiwan we eat this just for health, it’s not medicine. It is just herbs. All the herbs you can find in the kitchen; the ginger, the cinnamon.”

Keith Swift,
So you’re a doctor?

Shirley Jan,
“I am a doctor.”

Keith Swift,
You’re licensed to practice in Belize?

Shirley Jan,
“No I don’t want to open because I am busy.”

And the animated Shirley Jan, who welcomed us into her house, blankly refused to allow us to film what she calls her medical certificates. She allowed me to look at them – and from what I read –it only mentions acupuncture.

Keith Swift,
That’s still illegal, that’s still wrong because you need a license to practice medicine in Belize.

Shirley Jan,
“No, I don’t have medicine. I have no medicine, you could check.”

But Susan and her husband Steve Wu did have medicine and she wants to make sure no one else will make the mistake of calling Shirley Jan – Dr. Jan again.

Steve Wu,
“She’s still doing medical service and prescribing medicine to other people and how come the government not do something about it.”

Susan Wu,
“We are really sad that and disappointed how she was not honest to us and she gave me things that didn’t help me and told us that we have cancer and then made my whole family and myself so depressed. We feel so hurt and sad and she should be responsible for this.”

And taking responsibility is something Shirley Jan won’t do because like this quote from mark twain says – there is a thin line between what we know and don’t know – but the line between being a doctor and an acupuncturist is thick, and the Wu’s maintain that she crossed it.

The Wus gave the boxes of medication to the Ministry of Health. But so far nothing has been done. Shirley Jan says the Ministry of Health has not contacted her. More than that, she says Susan and Steve Wu are complaining because they owe her money for the medication and don't want to pay. She says she is still studying to be a doctor. She moved to Belize two years ago and prior to that she was a designer. The Wu’s have lived in Belize for 12 years. We were unable to get comment from the Ministry of Health.