Purchase the Prejeta.....Please

In 2014 I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and I really need your help.

When you google metastatic breast cancer, the life expectancy always comes up as 22% of people living with this disease will live past 5 years.

So for 4 years now I've been fighting this disease with a smorgasbord of treatments.

In 2014 I underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction surgery and also commenced 6 months of chemotherapy, followed by a month long cycle of daily radiation.

I also started daily hormone therapy (Tamoxifen followed by Letrozole) which is taken orally daily and Herceptin administered every 3 weeks through a portacath inserted into my chest, Zometa every 6 weeks which is a bone strengthener and Zoledex which is an injection every 4 weeks in my ovaries to suppress the estrogen my body produces. I know, I'm practically a walking pharmacy ;)

All of these treatments are administered at Auckland Hospital and I am immensely grateful for the treatment I receive.

When I was diagnosed 4 years ago, I made a decision that I wasn’t going to be dictated to by this illness and I certainly wasn't going to adhere to the grim statics I’ve shared above.

I’ve worked hard to maintain normality in my life in the face of extreme adversity and uncertainty. I'm a good mum and a good friend. I’ve managed to achieve some great things with a positive outlook on life and my refusal to be beaten by this disease. I feel really fortunate to live the life I lead.

Check out a little bit more about me through the following articles:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/national-video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=184905

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11943969

I’m a mother so I have to do everything in my power to stay alive for as long as I possibly can. I'm ever optimistic that a cure is just around the corner and I wanna be around for that day!

On the 1st of January 2017 a new line treatment called Perjeta was accepted by Pharmac for public funding in New Zealand.

This is a great new treatment for women with hormone positive, Her2 positive, breast cancer, like me.

Clinical trials have shown that women receiving Perjeta, plus Herceptin and Docetaxel had a 38 per cent reduction in the risk of their disease worsening or death compared with those receiving Herceptin and Docetaxel alone.

For more information on Perjeta check out the links below:

https://www.perjeta.com

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/targeted_therapies/perjeta/how_it_works

https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2018-04-27.htm

But there's a catch and the horrible truth of it......

It’s only funded for women diagnosed post 1st of January 2017. Having been diagnosed in 2014 I do not qualify for public funding.

Without any funding assistance this drug comes at a cost of in excess of $130,000 which is out of my reach as a mum on a police salary.

This treatment would dramatically increase my chances of living longer. Studies have shown that women receiving Perjeta alongside Herceptin live an average of 16 months longer than those only receiving Herceptin.

I’m calling on assistance to help me raise the money so that I can pay for this new treatment and give myself an extra chance to stay alive as long as possible.

I need to live longer so that I can fight for the injustices in my community and help my daughter grow into a young woman.

I’m sending an SOS out to the world for your help. It's so awkward for me to ask for this assistance but I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Please donate so I can access Perjeta.

My buddies are also planning a fundraising event l/ charity auction later in the year so if you feel you could help us in any way in this space, please private message me at the page below:

https://www.facebook.com/Im-sending-an-SOS-to-the-world-474066333014559/

Love and kindness,

Sarah CATO x