Wayne with his sister Hayley
Wayne's health was a paradox. At an appointment on 1 July 2004, Haematologists explained there was no way he could survive his combined ailments, that is, both the leukaemia and the fungal infection. If the leukaemia was treated, the fungal infection would overwhelm him; if the fungal infection was treated, the chemo had to be stopped and the leukaemia would win out.
At this stage it was discovered that, despite only reaching the two week mark of his four week round of chemo, Wayne was in clinical remission! With the paradox removed for the time being, Wayne stayed off the chemo and continued to receive regular IV antibiotics (called Amphotericin, and later, AmBizome). Yet even while he was on these powerful drugs, six MRI scans leading up to this date showed the infection gradually worsening.
By 6 July, the situation again appeared hopeless. Wayne's parents, sisters and brother-in-law found themselves seriously researching other methods of treatment, praying that there was something that could make the difference. Interested in finding out the effectiveness of Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment (HBO) in treating intracranial abscesses, they made the call and contacted Oxygen Therapies.
Still uncertain about this approach, they carried out an intensive literature search of the pros and cons of HBO treatment. When research showed that patients with this infection who had no HBO treatment had a survival rate of 22%, yet those with HBO had a survival rate of 83%, the Reynolds knew that they were on to something. Mucormycosis thrives in a low oxygen environment, and HBO treatment offered the chance to alter this, thereby halting and hopefully reducing the extent of the infection.
However, HBO was not available at the hospital, and it was not included in the list of officially funded treatment options. Steeled on by the hope that this treatment offered, Wayne's family made the decision to meet the cost themselves.