Cancer patient dies at Mexican clinic
Authorities treating incident as suicide
(From The Orcadian dated January 11, 2001)

An Orkney cancer sufferer has died in Mexico after allegedly jumping from a second-floor window of a clinic in an incident which the local authorities are treating as suicide.

Duncan Heddle (37), of Hamnavoe, Stromness, and his wife Moira had been in Tijuana in Mexico for a couple of weeks before the weekend incident.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Mexican authorities were due to hold a press conference yesterday at the clinic where Mr Heddle had been staying.

“We understand they will say that they are satisfied that his death was suicide,” she said. “He allegedly jumped out of a second-floor window from his room.”

Family and friends in Orkney were shocked and saddened to hear the news that Mr Heddle – who had been fighting the disease for four years – had died at the clinic.

Speaking to The Orcadian before news that her son’s death was being treated by the authorities as suicide, Mr Heddle’s mother Elizabeth Heddle of Westfield in Stromness said: “We have gone through this for a long while, we always thought we would have a better ending to it. Everyone is hurt and shocked and in tears.”

In June last year Mr Heddle – who was diagnosed four years ago – learned that he had developed another tumour but conventional treatments had failed so he and his wife Moira, who only married last year, sought out alternative therapies.

The Gerson Therapy treatment offered in Mexico was an expensive option and a massive fundraising drive was organised in Orkney to help send him there.

Within only weeks around £10,000 had been raised for the Duncan Heddle Cancer Appeal. A massive £5,000 was donated by Orkney’s dedicated charity, the Orkney Mission, and the Jac Mollison Fund of Hope – set up at the end of last year in memory of cancer victim Jacqueline Mollison – to help people suffering from cancer. Family, friends and supporters managed to raise the rest needed for the appeal to send him for the treatment, which costs around £15,000 for four weeks at a Mexican clinic.

The treatment – which has reportedly had very positive results across the globe, is essentially a non toxic treatment based on fruit and vegetable drinks given nearly every hour. The idea is that it will stimulate the body’s own defence system to do as it usually does in a healthy body – overcome cancer.

This is done by supplying the body with an overabundance of fresh, live enzymes found in salads and fresh fruit and their juices as well as other nutritional supplements.

Just before Mr Heddle left for Mexico on December 20, he told The Orcadian that he had been overwhelmed by the kindness of people and the massive amount of money raised in a short period.

Mr Jim Mollison, who set up the Jac Mollison Fund of Hope, had been part of the team who decided to donate the money towards Mr Heddle’s appeal, said he had been saddened to hear the news.

Mrs Mollison had also bravely battled against cancer and tried alternative therapies in Tijuana, but she died in October last year.

Arrangements are being made to fly Mr Heddle’s body back to this country.

“We do not know exactly what is happening yet,” his mother said, “and we don’t have a date for the funeral.”

Prayers were said for the Heddle family in the Stromness Church on Sunday.

Mr Heddle is survived by his wife Moira, parents John and Elizabeth, twin brother Stephen, brothers John, Graham and Robert and sister Helen.