Please help give Naomi the gift of time with her boys

Please, help us pay for unfunded medical costs for Naomi, who is bravely fighting for more time with her husband and lovely boys.

Naomi Cooke is a very much loved Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Niece, Teacher, Counsellor, Psychologist and friend! It was devastating to her, her immediate family and all who love her when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in November 2018. Especially as she was a healthy, active, non-smoking young woman.

Naomi is married to Hamish and they have their two gorgeous boys Jonti (12) and Zeb (only 10). The two boys are keen young sportsmen and Naomi has always been the most wonderful mother, ensuring they have every opportunity at life including school, sports and with their friends. She is also a loving mother to her fur kids Oli, Jake and Mac.

Naomi has made a huge contribution over the years to her community with her amazing work in schools with children and young people experiencing challenges. She has been a positive support to their families. She has proven a wonderful and loving friend to so many.

Due to Naomi’s healthy, active lifestyle and being a non-smoker, it took a very long time for her ill health to be linked to lung cancer. This lengthy delay meant that at the time of diagnosis she was already at stage 4 of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. Naomi has been fighting this awful disease with incredible strength, optimism and dignity. Naomi and her family and friends will be forever grateful for the treatment and excellent care that she has received since diagnosis. The care from her doctors and her community has been very moving for her.

When Naomi was initially diagnosed she was prescribed a drug that was funded in NZ. This drug has now stopped working and her cancer is now progressing again. Up until now Naomi has been able to access funded targeted therapy treatments but unfortunately these have run their course.

There is a treatment option available, which is not currently funded in NZ or the UK. The treatment that she will be having is a targeted gene therapy called Osimertinib (Tagrisso) which costs $11,000 per month. This treatment is successfully used elsewhere all over the world in treating this type of lung cancer and providing some progression-free quality of life. The total cost of the treatment in New Zealand will be $88,000.00,

Naomi has had to give up her work due to her illness and treatment. It has been heartbreaking to see how ill Naomi has been this year. She is fighting for her life and as much quality time as she can have with her beloved family. Naomi is the most deserving person I know and I am asking for your help with her treatment costs.

Naomi and Hamish will have to sell their home to fund this treatment. Please take this opportunity to help them and their boys so they can take the time for Naomi to stabilise her health and be able to make the right decisions for their family at the right time without the stress of huge medical bills.

Kia Kaha