Phyllis Coard diagnosed with colon cancer

Phyllis Coard was rushed to hospital towards the end of February where she underwent an operation during which a tumour was removed from her large intestines. Tests confirmed that the tumour was cancerous and that she would therefore require treatment by an oncologist. Grenada has no oncologist or the specialist facilities needed to treat cancer patients.

At the request of Phyllis Coard’s daughter who was in Grenada at the time, she was released on 18th March in order to seek treatment abroad. However, although previously prisoners in Grenada (including one on death row) have been released unconditionally after a diagnosis with cancer, Phyllis was only released for 6 months in the first instance. She may apply on medical grounds for extensions of this temporary respite from her prison term.

Phyllis sought permission to enter the United Kingdom to obtain chemotherapy shortly after her release. Two of her three children live there, amongst other family members, and she wished to be near them while coping with the harsh side effects of chemotherapy. However because permission from the British Government was not apparently forthcoming she was forced to go ahead with chemotherapy in Jamaica. She is therefore presently in Jamaica where she is having chemotherapy to treat colon cancer.

27 July 2000