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Disgraced cancer doc tries for early jail release for medical reasons, enraging his victims
Patty Hester is one of more than 500 patients – falsely diagnosed with cancer and treated by Dr. Farid Fata.
FOX 2 - Patty Hester is one of more than 500 patients – falsely diagnosed with cancer and treated by Dr. Farid Fata.
"It’s something you can’t, it’s like something in a movie, something you can’t imagine," said Patty Hester, a former patient. "He altered all my lab works, he altered my bone marrow biopsy, all my results. So, no matter what I shared with anybody I’m sharing something that’s not true."
For three years, every week between 2010 – 2013, she underwent painful infusions – she never needed.
"It was constantly, 'You really need to start focusing on the chemo,'" she said. "And I’m like no, I’m not going to do that."
Many of Fata’s patients – did undergo chemotherapy, for years.
"Chemotherapy is like a grenade going off in your body," said Angela Shukwit.
Shukwit is an oncology nurse – tried to report Fata, in 2010 - three years before the feds, dismantled his fraudulent healthcare scheme totaling $34 million.
"I got in my car and just started crying because of what I had just witnessed," she said.
The state regulating agency LARA – found no merit in Angela’s complaint, allowing people like Patty to suffer.
One of the hardest moments through it all, Patty says having to tell her son – she had cancer when he came back from deployment with the Navy.
"It was terrible for him," she said. "And it was kind of like 'Welcome back to the country - I’m sorry I’m dying.'"
Fata pleaded guilty to health care fraud and sentenced to 45 years in prison. He’s in year 11 when he filed a so-called compassionate release request this summer.
Fata claimed that he is not receiving proper medical treatment behind bars – at Williamsburg Prison in South Carolina.
"Farid Fata sits in a prison he has food and shelter and he has healthcare treatment (saying) 'Oh gee, woe is me.'" she said.
On September 20th, a judge will decide if Fata gets out 34 years before he’s supposed to.
A different judge denied a similar request in 2020.
"And now he wants mercy when he showed no mercy," Patty said.
Hester now needs infusions because of the damage from treatments Fata prescribed as a result of his fake diagnosis.