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Help Give Cheryl a Chance to Beat Stage 4 Melanoma!

  • A positive update....

      19 January 2016

    Just before Christmas, we recieved the best news - Mum's tumour in her lung and the ones in her groin have SHRUNK! The MRI showed no evidence of disease in her brain either, and no new spots anywhere else!

    As you can all imagine, we were all on tenterhooks waiting for the results of the MRI and i can honestly say, not one of us expected news like this. It is such a great relief to know that for now, she has bought herself more time with both the alternative and conventional options for treatment she has opted to undergo. Make no mistake, we are all well aware that this current state may not last, but for now we are celebrating the victories and I think we can all agree that this is definitely one to be celebrated!

    Thank you again to all who donated and shared this page. The funds raised are an enormous weight off our shoulders for when the time comes for Mum to try the pembrolizumab.

    For those who were getting signatures for the Keytruda petition run by Leisa Renwick, please be aware they are needed by the February 2 cut off date so don't forget to send them in!

    Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts x

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    • 25/01/2016 by bhntvyet

      01/01/1967

  • Make a change

      6 December 2015

    Wow - this is an incredible amount that you have all so generously given. We are so thankful to each and every one of you!

    Mum has completed her course of radiation and was very fortunate to get through it with minimal side effects. Unfortunately she had a wee fall the other day and has broken 2 bones in her wrist and has a suspected torn rotator cuff! She doesn't seem to do things by halves! ;)

    A lot of you may have read in the news the other day the Pharmac considers funding Keytruda a low priority and so at this stage is not going to fund it. This is such a bitterly disappointing outcome, not just for Mum but for all melanoma patients. This treatment needs to be more readily available in New Zealand!

    Melanoma patient Leisa Renwick has created a Pembrolizumab petition:

    "That the House of Representatives approve extra funding to Pharmac so that the drug pembrolizumab can be made available to all New Zealanders with advanced melanoma, regardless of socio-economic status."

    You can help to push this with parliament by clicking the following link, printing the petition and getting all your friends, family, colleagues etc to sign it. It MUST be an original signature and no photocopies or scans. There are instructions via the link on how to do it. This will be presented to parliament in the new year.

    http://www.melanoma.org.nz/news-events/recent-news/pembrolizumab-petition/

    Thank you again, for everybody's amazing generosity and endless support - you are all wonderful!

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    • 25/01/2016 by bhntvyet

      01/01/1967

  • Wowsers - $16,000!!

      11 November 2015

    Thank you so much to all who have donated to the givealittle page so far, and to all of those who have shared. People have been incredibly generous, we are totally blown away at how quickly it has risen!

    The initial creation of a page came from inundated requests from Mums friends and family to have somewhere they could help in a practical way, for a situation that we are all helpless in.

    Mum did the interview on Sunday to raise awareness and stand up for all melanoma patients who deserve the best treatments available. I am so proud of her for doing this, as I know how nervous she was!

    We don't want anyone to feel obliged to contribute at all - that wasn't what the page was about. It was for people who wanted to, to feel they were doing something - at their request.

    Mum is not on deaths door today. She may be walking up the path, but that path isn't a sure thing - and that's the hard thing with cancer, all the unknowns. Even if Mum gets to try Keytruda (pembrolizumab) it may not work. It may, but there is always a chance of it not.

    She is still following her original course of treatment for the time being, which is radiation which started today. No doubt this is going to take it's toll on her, so please all send healing thoughts and prayers.

    The best thing you can all do at this stage is sign the petition - sign it, share it, post it everywhere you can. The government needs to fast-track the funding so that the 300 people who die every year from melanoma in NZ have a chance - just like Mum.

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    • 25/01/2016 by bhntvyet

      01/01/1967