20 year old Lauren has been diagnosed with Stage 3B Melanoma and needs assistance to pay for her treatment
Bay of Plenty
This is my kind, caring, thoughtful, humble and beautiful, 20-year-old niece Lauren, in 2020 (one of the most difficult years for all of us) just one month after her beloved grandmother passed away and while still grieving, Lauren was diagnosed with Stage 3B Melanoma cancer.
Up until the diagnosis, Lauren was a happy healthy 20-year-old with an enormous love for animals, particularly horses. About 2 years ago, Lauren noticed a mole on her calf that was irritating her. She visited both GPs and skin clinics over the 2 years to get it checked however due to her age and fitness they conducted manual checks only (no biopsy).
In late 2020 after continued irritation about the mole which had now grown in size and was at times bleeding, Lauren visited a family friend, who was a skin doctor, for another opinion. The family friend recommended removal of the mole and after testing the mole post procedure, it was discovered that Lauren had Melanoma.
Since then, Lauren has endured additional surgery, which found the cancer to have spread to her lymph nodes and is now at a crossroads with the next stages of her treatment. In NZ the treatment her specialists advise is the best option to provide Lauren with the greatest chance of survival and a significant reduction in the risk of recurrence, is not covered by the public health system for Lauren’s stage of cancer. It only becomes funded at Stage 4, at the bottom of the cliff, and even then Pharmac are sporadic with their funding. Common places for the cancer to spread to in Stage 4 after spreading beyond the lymph nodes, is the lungs, kidneys, bone and brain.
In NZ we have the highest melanoma incidence rate in the world and in recent years more people have died from melanoma than on the roads. Yet a lack of funding and recognition, means there is a gap in the NZ health system which could literally mean life or death for Lauren. In order to give Lauren the best chance of survival, she needs to undergo Immunotherapy treatment. It involves 17 rounds of infusions of a drug called Keytruda, that is especially effective for melanoma. Keytruda works with the immune system to help find and destroy cancer cells. The treatment is over the period of 12 months and is done 3 weekly, with various doctor reviews and scans along the way. This treatment costs over $110,000NZD per year and that is just for the medication (this amount does not cover all of the additional medical costs that come along with the treatment). For a family of 6, this enormous financial burden is putting a high amount of stress on Lauren’s parents and extended family and for this reason we are reaching out to the amazing Give a Little community for help.
Being the humble, considerate person she is, Lauren has been hesitant with reaching out for financial help, which is why we have decided to take the step to reach out for her.
In addition to your amazing financial support, one of the other key reasons we started this fundraiser is to provide awareness to the NZ public on the gaps in the NZ public health care system related to melanoma cancer treatment. Until Lauren started on this journey, we were all under the impression that all non-trial cancer treatment was covered by the NZ health system (as it is in Australia and the UK) however this has proven to not be the case. In addition to fighting the battle of her life, Lauren and our family will also be petitioning the Government to close this gap and save more New Zealand cancer patient lives. Any support you can provide Lauren as she embarks on this long hard road would be hugely appreciated – Spread the word!
Thank you so much for reading this and any contribution you have been able to provide is hugely appreciated by Lauren and her entire family.
I am Lauren's Aunty and really want to help in everyway I can to make sure she gets the treatment she needs
The funds will contribute to the high cost treatment Lauren requires
Final Update 7 March 2022
Well, finally after a year I can say that I’ve finished my treatment and am officially in remission! 17 cycles of Pembro and a full year of appointments, scans and difficult decisions have all led to today.
The last year and a half has been a complete roller coaster, full of ups and downs. There have definitely been struggles and it’s been particularly hard at times but hopefully, this is the end of any treatment. I will continue to be monitored for the next 5 years, so it’s not the end however we’re hopeful that the immunotherapy has done its job!
This year has brought so many amazing people and things into my life. I’m so incredibly grateful, it overwhelms me thinking of the generosity and support I have received from everyone. There is no way I would have been able to get through this without the amazing people that have helped me or offered kindness in so many ways. To all of you who have donated, messaged and supported me in various ways, I just can’t thank you enough.
I feel so so lucky. I remember last year, writing my original post and being so distraught, I wanted to manage this on my own and thought that no one would care. I could not have been proven more wrong. You have all helped us beyond anything we had ever imagined and I have been overwhelmed by how people have been so willing to help us and get us through this. The fundraisers and willingness of people to work towards me being able to access this treatment was phenomenal.
I have met the most beautiful people, experienced some great moments and learnt so much. I can’t thank everyone individually but please know how much I appreciate all of you. Know that if you ever need anything I would be humbled to help.
Lastly, I would like to thank my family. I can never thank my parents and greater family enough. There is no way I would’ve gotten through any of this without you all. I’m so privileged to have the most incredible support network. You have seen me through from the start and I know you will continue to support me from this point onwards. I know I haven’t always been the easiest (especially with needles 😅) but you’ve been there through thick and thin. I love you!
I hope this is the last post I will have to make and I can continue with my work that I love and look towards whatever the future holds!
Thank you so much Ruby ❤️
Thank you Sam! Lots of love ❤️ xx
Thank you Skye and your family, I’m really grateful for your generosity ❤️
Thank you very much Werner! It’s so appreciated 😊
Thank you so much Michelle ❤️
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