Hearts and funds for Vickie

Our beautiful community member, friend, wife and mother Vickie is seeking funding for life prolonging drugs which unfortunately are not funded by the NZ government.

Vickie lives with her 5 year old daughter Ruby and husband Ryan in the seaside suburb of Sumner, in Christchurch, NZ. Just over two years ago Vickie found out she had 4 tumours growing around her heart. Her world came crashing down.

Initially Vickie received fully funded immunotherapy treatment but after 9 months it stopped working and a fifth tumour had grown. Vickie's oncologist advised her to commence Dabrafenib and Trametinib treatment to reduce the tumour growth rate. It costs Vickie and Ryan $5,500 per month. They fund-raised last year but they need to do so again this year.

Melanoma Heart Trust has been established to receive money raised for Vickie’s treatment/medical costs and any other costs involved with her treatment.

Vickie tirelessly campaigns in the media to tell her story to drive a review of Pharmac funding parameters so nobody else has to go through this in the future. What an amazing woman!

We ask NZ, Christchurch, Sumner and all Vickie's friends and family, and anyone else who can contribute anything to do so. This is life prolonging medicine for Vickie so she can spend precious time with her daughter Ruby and husband Ryan. Every single $1 is hugely appreciated.