Friends of a Coquitlam, BC couple paying out of pocket for Stage 4 cancer treatment are coming together to help them through an online fundraiser. The move comes after months of pushing for help and answers from the province, but so far nothing has changed. Carrie Taylor Atkins and her husband Matthew are paying about $1,200 a month for a new three-drug combination that Taylor Atkins is taking as a third-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Only one of the drugs, called Herceptin, is not fully covered, although it is already approved in BC and is funded as part of other treatments. “I’m doing really well with this treatment,” she said. “And I hope to be at it for a long, long time.” In June, BC Cancer said the new treatment was experiencing cost denials with drug companies and added that it was possible some patients would end up paying until funding decisions were made. However, it is unclear how long that wait might be. The self-employed couple has contacted the province several times and also managed to get compassionate coverage from the manufacturers for the other two drugs involved, but only received 50 percent coverage for Herceptin. “What we believe in Canada is that health care is free,” said Taylor Atkins. “And it’s a bit of a slap in the face when you realize that health care is mostly free. It’s not free when you’re part of this very marginal group of patients.” Matthew Atkins said the couple’s MLA sent some letters on their behalf and they received a phone call from the Premier’s office asking for a personal letter, which Atkins sent. So far, he said, there has been no response. “It was extremely disappointing,” he said. “Just because I feel like I’m banging my head against the wall.” One avenue suggested early on to the couple by their oncologist was to organize an online fundraiser, something they were reluctant to do. “It wasn’t a path we wanted to take,” Taylor Atkins said. “It made more sense for us to talk to the government about how to get access to a drug that has already been paid for.” Now, friends of the couple have stepped in and started a fundraiser for them. One of the organizers, Lynda McKillip, said they wanted to take the financial stress away so Taylor Atkins could focus on her health. “It just doesn’t seem right. I wonder, people who don’t have the means, any kind of resources to access these treatments, what’s happening to them,” he said. “Matt and Carrie are very deserving people who just need a few hands around them right now.” The fundraiser also includes a call to action, encouraging people to contact their MLA or the province to ask for transitional funding for patients. “They’ve put up a good fight, but this bill keeps rolling in every month,” McKillip said. “We just wanted to support them.” Taylor Atkins said she is grateful to everyone who has contributed so far, including complete strangers and friends who “wouldn’t take no for an answer”. “It still feels a little awkward, and when I say a little, I mean a lot,” he said. “But it’s a choice. It’s an option we can use and it will make things easier for us.” Atkins said they plan to continue pushing for change, in hopes that patients won’t have to worry about being able to afford the care they need. “If we end up with enough money to spend what we need, the problem won’t go away,” he said. “It’s a conversation that needs to be had.”
