Terminal Cancer Patient Fights To Reunite With Family

POSTED: 5:36 pm EST December 22, 2011
UPDATED: 6:32 pm EST December 22, 2011

BOSTON -- Mahboobeh Rabiee, known as Marjan, is struggling to be reunited with her family as she battles terminal cancer.The Iranian came to the United States in 2007 to marry, study dentistry and work on her art. The Weymouth woman never imagined she'd be diagnosed later that year with breast cancer at age 27."It was Stage 2 at the beginning," Rabiee told NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill. "Then after some months they told me that the cancer's back in all my body. It's Stage 4 now."Rabiee just turned 31.Her mother has come to Weymouth to help Rabiee, who is now a U.S. citizen. But her father remains in Iran with her 7-year-old sister, Mania, who is unable to get a visa. Siblings fall low on the priority list and the wait can be years."She's just 7 years old. And she's all alone," Rabiee said. "And she needs to be with my mom. And we don't have any other choices. I can't go back there because there's no treatment like here."Rabiee's being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her oncologist said this reunion needs to happen soon."The concern is we don't have very many, if any, therapies left for her," said Dr. Steven Isakoff.Isakoff has written letters to immigration officials and both Massachusetts senators."Aside from having their cancer and the physical symptoms, when the patient starts crying because they can't have their family around it's impossible not to be touched by that and not want to get involved to try and help," Isakoff said.After NewsCenter 5 contacted the Department of Homeland Security, a representative did reach out to Rabiee. They explained that applying for humanitarian parole may now be her best option."Now that I'm sick, I just want my parents to be with me," Rabiee said. "I don't want to be alone when I'm dying."

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