Why do we need to act now?
For thousands of Canadians, further delays are literally a matter of life and death
Angus King is fighting for his family and fighting for fair treatment.
With chemotherapy no longer working to suppress the growth of his brain tumour and a second surgery deemed too risky; Angus was faced with only one other treatment option to consider.
“I was told the drug Avastin could help,” Angus says. “However, Nova Scotia only covers the drug for colorectal & lung cancer and, very recently, age-related macular degeneration; not brain cancer. My insurer doesn’t cover the cost either.” The only treatment that Angus could endure would cost the King family $4,500 every two weeks.
“I feel fortunate that we’ve lived frugally and have saved, but I have kids who are 16 and 19, and we’ve always put money away for their post-secondary education and our retirement. I told my wife there’s no way I’m jeopardizing my family’s financial security to fund a drug. She doesn’t like me saying that, but I just won’t do it.”
Carol Westberg knows that citizen action is necessary for all Canadians to receive fair treatment.
In 2004, Carol was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Carol points out that she feels fortunate for the public coverage that allowed her access to existing treatments, as well as her participation in clinical trials for newer treatments. She was originally told she had three to five years to live; this year she marked the sixth anniversary of her diagnosis.
“To me, this emphasizes the need for a catastrophic drug coverage program, with new treatments, cancer patients are living longer. We need to have access to different treatments, as there is no one treatment that will help all people with multiple myeloma.
We need to ensure that people aren’t forced to decline a treatment that might work for them, simply because they don’t have private coverage and they need to ensure that they leave an inheritance for their children.”
Carol Coleman will be remembered for her tireless fight for catastrophic coverage for all New Brunswicker’s.
Five years ago, Carol was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the plasma cells that are critical to the functioning of the immune system. Having moved to New Brunswick after retirement, she appreciated that she was just minutes away from excellent care at her local hospital. However, the lack of a Catastrophic Drug program in her new home province meant her treatment options were limited..
Joan Gaudet’s daughter, Traci, recounts how her mother changed the lives of those seeking fair treatment in PEI.
“Mom buried her face in her hands and cried after the doctor left the room,” Traci says. “Not because of the diagnosis, but because her drugs were going to cost between $5,000 and $7,000 per month.
“We couldn’t believe it. For a woman who had raised six children, was an entrepreneur, a school bus driver and a volunteer on various community school and health boards, this was a slap in the face. Was this the wonderful Canadian health care system we bragged about?”
Nick Discepola has been fighting to control cancer his whole career. Now he is fighting for his life.
As Board Chair of the Campaign to Control Cancer, Nick is vocal about the implementation of a national Catastrophic Drug Coverage program to benefit all Canadians in need.
Faced with a recent cancer diagnosis, Nick says of his treatment: “I began taking Afinitor, a new oral tablet from Novartis, at a cost of $7,000 per month to supplement my therapy.” None of the cost is covered by his provincial drug coverage.
