Help Cancer Patients Access Medications!

Our program to help cancer patients access medications unavailable in their home countries continues to grow in siginificance.  Unfortunately, many cancer patients in the former Soviet Union cannot purchase necessary medications due to their unavailability.  For example, adrenocortical cancer medication, Lysodren, is not manufactured in Russia.  But since this type of cancer is relatively rare, the government does not budget for it and it is not imported from other countries.  The patients are told to search for the medication themselves and buy it out of pocket. 

Currently, we support 9 adrenocortical cancer patients by purchasing this medication in Canada and shipping it to Russia.  One of these patients who needs our support is Irina, a young single mom from Central Russia.  Since she was a little girl, she wanted to be a teacher, and after graduating from a university in Voronezh she was able to fulfill her dream.  For 5 years, Irina worked as an elementary school teacher.  After she got married, she and her husband moved to a small town to start their lives together.  Irina got pregnant.  Her pregnancy was difficult and she felt very unwell, but the doctors did not seem alarmed.  After her son's birth, Irina was elated, but her condition did not improve.  She began having adrenal crises and panic attacks.  Her blood pressure stayed high and she was still swollen.   Eventually, in spring of 2015 a large tumor in her right adrenal gland was discovered.   Irina underwent several surgeries and spent months in the hospital recovering.  Unfortunately, just a year later the tumor grew back and spread.  This time, Irina traveled to Moscow where she received chemotherapy and began taking Lysodren.  She was told that the medicine has to be taken daily, for a long time.  Recently, Irina had yet another surgery to remove residual tumors, but she still needs to continue her therapy to ensure the cancer does not recur. 

Irina's husband left the family while she was undergoing treatment, and she can only count on support from her parents to get well and take care of her young son.  We really appreciate your contributions that allow us to help Irina and patients like her. 

Thank you for your kindness!