Former Miss UK Drops Chemo for Medical Cannabis
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]F[/dropcap]ormer Miss UK, who was also a lab technician, stunt double, black belt and army medic, announced on social media that she is foregoing chemotherapy for medical cannabis to treat a brain tumor, and clarified her position on Jan. 11.
Kerri Parker, 34, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013—and given a 13 percent chance of survival. After surgery involving opening up her skull, she beat all odds and doctors announced that she was in remission. In 2016, she won the Miss UK title. But according to her most recent diagnosis, the cancerous growth recently returned.
“‘Chemotherapy will add on a few extra months of survival’. But at what cost?! A year in hospital to get a few extra months of life isn’t treatment in my eyes,” Parker posted on Instagram . Parker then explained how alternative organic therapies may be the best route, given the circumstances.
Later she got more specific about the alternative therapies that she is exploring, and how successful the treatment was. “I’m using cannabis oil and the cannabis has stopped my seizures,” Parker told The Mirror. “I’ve noticed that it has helped and in the US they put it all down to alternative treatment.” Cancer didn’t stop Parker from running in the London marathon, or training for boxing, which was yet another one of her interests.
Shortly after, it was revealed that Parker and her family plan on putting her through six weeks of cannabis oil. Parker is also exploring other alternative medicines, and may search as far as Mexico for alternative therapies.
Parker runs the Kerri Parker Academy for model training in Norwich, England. She has raised £20,000 ($26,127.06) for brain cancer research since her first diagnosis. Her career includes being a former Playboy bunny, doing stunts and portraying a James Bond girl in Hollywood films. She lived in the Playboy Mansion in 2012 with the late Hugh Hefner. Today, Parker hopes that medical cannabis will give her a much better quality of life than chemo can offer.
