A female doctor in Encinitas had been diagnosing and treating patients for months until a grave mistake revealed her secret. Kathleen Ann Helms operated BrightHouse Wellness, a health institute that treated many women and men in the San Diego and Tijuana areas. She operated her facility out of Tijuana, and was known for using less typical remedies. One woman came to her clinic and Helms suggested that she undergo an expensive IV treatment for healing. The patient complied, and was issued a $30,000 treatment that included animal stem cells and an IV drip of Dimethyl Sulfoxide, which is an anti-inflammatory insolvent. Rather than cure her, the IV concoction put the patient in an assisted living facility, and severely injured from the chemicals. She is now unable to function on her own and needs full time care.

Another patient who had been visiting Helms filed an affidavit case against her after Helms diagnosed her Lyme disease. She was sent to Tijuana for an insertion of a PICC line that could deliver the medicine that she wanted. The patient crossed the border into Mexico three times, and then went back to Helms office. There, the female doctor gave her even more of the treatment. The injections were repeated three more times, until the patient became extremely sick. She was sent to a hospital and was told that her organs were shutting down. The doctor at the medical facility told this patient that she only had about six weeks left to live. Miraculously, the patient was able to pull through, but not without sustained injuries. She too is now in an assisted living home where she receives full time care because of her inability to live independently.

In addition to these two unfortunate victims, the Federal Bureau of Investigation believes that there others. Investigators visited Helms’ Encinitas clinic to search for evidence of medical malpractice, and discovered that the physician was a fake. She had no degrees in medicine and did not have her medical license at all. She was arrested on the spot for treating patients without a medical license. She was also charged with grand theft. The doctor pleaded not guilty to her charges in court, and faces up to 12 years and 8 months in prison if she is convicted of her crimes. She will also most likely be required to pay back the men and women that she has wronged, and give them full restitution for their medical bills.

District Attorney Bonni M. Dumanis was shocked at Helms’ cruel acts, and said that she should callous disregard for her victims. The woman had posed as an M.D., misdiagnosed people with serious diseases, and then charged them thousands for harmful treatments. Another Deputy District Attorney said that this should serve as a warning to those who seed other forms of medical care. Sometimes people like to experiment with wellness clinics and natural doctors, and find that the men and women that they are trusting to promote their better health are the ones that are harming them. The case is a reminder that you should always verify your doctor’s credentials, especially before undergoing an expensive and risky treatment.

Helms is currently being held on a $250,000 bail and will appear in court on August 24 and August 28 for her actions. If you were treated by a doctor without a license and experienced pain, injury, or deteriorating health as a result, then talk to a medical malpractice attorney today to get representation and seek damages for your pain. You should not have to cover the costs of medical bills that were accumulated to fix your problem. Also, you may be able to gain wages for pain and suffering!