Dear readers:
I rarely, as a matter of policy, make personal appeals, especially if they are for money. This one is not.
Darcy Doherty is the dearest friend of a Canadian family member of mine. His struggle with cancer has been heroic, thus far, but now, he's being denied an experimental drug—that has already been effective—on what is essentially a technicality. While all such drugs are risky, and carry no guarantees, it is all but certain that he will be dead shortly without it.
I urge you to read his latest missive to family and friends, ready the news story in it, and sign his petition at the bottom.
Again, this is not a fund raising appeal. It's a petition to grant what may prove to be a life extending therapy to a gravely ill human who is hanging on to a thread of hope. Your effort may literally safe a life.
Thank you.
Darcy Doherty writes:
Hi Everyone,Not quite the improvement that I’d been hoping for. As most of you know, my cancer has been quite aggressive of late and both my wife Rebecca and I have spent the better part of the past three months either searching for therapies or waiting in line for one.Three of my oncologists all concurred the best choice for therapy is a new immunotherapy called antibody PD-I produced by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). You might remember this is the same drug company that produced the immune therapy Ipilumamab that I had such a fantastic response to. In early April, I was fortunate to jump on an antibody PD-1 trial in Tampa but unfortunately had to wait in line due to demand. In early May, I received the devastating blow that I’d been excluded from trial due to new, albeit small, brain tumors.Rebecca has been actively pursuing BMS for compassionate use of the drug, to no avail. We therefore have decided to take my story to the media.To learn more, please click the CBC News story at: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/05/30/toronto-cancer-experimental.html.We will also be on the Global National News tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm and in the Globe & Mail in the morning.If interested, please:
- sign this online petition at www.change.org/HelpSaveDarcy, and
- go to www.facebook.com/HelpSaveDarcy to post messages and get updates.
- You can also call Bristol-Myers Squibb at 800-332-2056 and tell them that you want me to have access to BMS-936558 on compassionate grounds.
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