Jerry’s Journey

This week I received a copy of a letter that my MPP (Julia Munro - York-Simcoe) sent to George Smitherman addressing the need for Avastin in Ontario. (Peter Van Loan, MP, was also cc’d).

Julia Munro’s responsiveness and action is commendable, so hopefully, Mr. Smitherman responds in an equally as timely fashion. To date, all other communications directly to Mr. Smitherman have essentially gone unanswered.

Julia’s letter reads: “Dear Mr. Smitherman: This letter is on behalf of one of my constituents who wishes to know why the Ministry of Health will not provide Avastin treatment for cancer patients. A copy of his letter is enclosed. I would appreciate it if you would review my constituent’s letter and inform him why this treatment is not provided and if you have any plans to change your policy. Please respond directly to my constituent with a copy to my riding office. Sincerely, Julia Munro, MPP, York North)”

Just wanted to share this communication and of course encourage you all to simply email or call your MPs and MPPs to take action.

Many thanks!

Quote by author Walter Anderson:

“I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.”

This Petition is for any and all to sign who want to support our mission or have been touched by cancer in one way or another; and especially for those who have not had fair or adequate access to the cancer treatments they require to survive or simply live longer and have a better quality of life.

The issue of access to effective cancer drugs and treatments continues to pain our Province (Ontario) and Canada. After almost a year of lobbying various government bodies to allow for Avastin treatment, my father’s Oncologist said last week (October 3rd), that it’s now too late for the Avastin treatment and in fact took him off chemotherapy.

Ironically, in an almost parallel stream, Cancer Care Ontario sent a letter allowing funding for Erbitux to be administered in Buffalo (an alternative treatment that was never identified by my Father’s oncologist as a possible treatment). Seemingly, their one-year turnaround process for this approval, may not only have a negative medical impact for my father, but has unnecessarily created an ineffective and costly proposition for the Province. This is pure negligence by the Province.

How can patients ever really have the hope and chance to live? Instead, they must fight for their lives on paper…a ridiculous process for people who simply don’t have time on their side.

As a side note, a friend of mine is involved in an Avastin clinical trial in Canada and has seen more than 60% tumour shrinkage. He was diagnosed with the same Cancer as my Father, at the same time. It’s time to effect change.

George Smitherman and Dalton McGuinty must be educated, informed and pressed to make changes. They have ignored repeated requests thus far, so it’s time to send a message “en mass”. The results of this petition will be forwarded to each of these politicians.

Thank you for your support.

Sign the petition