A Mooretown woman has been given a new lease on life.
Denise Wade is celebrating a win after being told drug manufacturer AstraZeneca would cover her Tagrisso (Osimertinib) medication when the retiree's benefits expire at the beginning of November.
"I'm still at a loss for words," said Wade. "Boom, out of the blue I get a call from the hospital and they say are you sitting down? She says I was approved through AstraZeneca for the Tagrisso. I said for how long? And she says for as long as you need it. I was in shock because they turned me down the first time my doctor applied."
Wade shared her cancer journey with Sarnia News Today and the public last month, after the province and drug company both denied her application to have the $10,000 monthly prescription covered.
A petition on change.org garnered over 17,000 signatures in support of Wade.
"We were making headway with the petition," said Wade. "All kinds of people out there that I don't even know that were going great guns on my behalf and I am so appreciative of those people."
Wade said while she has won her fight, she will continue her campaign to push OHIP to cover the costs of expensive life-saving drugs that pharmaceutical companies are keeping out of patient's reach.
"I will continue with my campaign," she said. "But I can count myself lucky that AstraZeneca has agreed to cover my Tagrisso for as long as I live. But for as long as I live, I'm still going to advocate for other people, to have the Ontario government cover these medications for these people who are dying of cancer, diabetes, whatever the case may be."
Wade said those who may find themselves in similar situations can reach out to her, and she will join their fight.
"I most certainly will, most certainly will," she said. "And if anybody that's out there that needs help, by all means, email me and I will do everything I can to support them in order for them to get the life-saving drugs, and for the Ontario government to give their heads a shake. Canadian people, hard working people, they're dying over this."
More on Wade's cancer journey can be found on her Facebook page.
