EDMONTON – A young Edmonton mother of two, who has been battling cancer for the past year and a half, is hopeful a new drug will help her fight the disease. However, the drug is expensive and currently it’s not covered by the province.
In May 2012, while pregnant with her second child, Jocelyn Ogrins discovered large lumps on her neck and was having difficulty breathing. Not long after that, the 23-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“Because of the advanced stage they didn’t want to prolong treatment until I delivered. So I started chemotherapy while pregnant.”
Ogrins went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy – six while pregnant and six after she delivered her healthy little girl, Eloise. After that, she was declared cancer-free.
“However, less than six months later I started having difficulty breathing, fever, night sweats,” Ogrins explained.
After several tests, she learned her cancer had returned.
“But this time it was both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And they’re both in aggressive forms.”
The young mother immediately started chemotherapy again. In September, Ogrins had an autologous stem cell transplant. However, just over a week ago she found out the transplant didn’t work.
Ogrins’ oncologist has prescribed a new drug called Adcetris. Dr. Neil Chua says it’s her best chance for survival.
“We have this window of opportunity right now to give her the best drug available before she gets even sicker from her lymphoma, such that she may not be able to tolerate any treatment at all,” Chua said in an emailed statement to Global News.
While Adcetris is approved in Canada, it is not covered by the province. Each treatment session costs $8,000 and it’s been recommended Ogrins go through eight sessions, at a cost of $64,000.
The province is currently in negotiations with the drug company, Seattle Genetics, to get the drug covered.
In the meantime, Chua has requested that the company lower the price.
“It is not unusual for an oncologist to try to get the drug company to lower the price they charge patients for the drug they make until the province starts funding it,” Chua said in his email.
“Often drug companies provide some compassionate funding, but this drug company isn’t,” Ogrins added.
Ogrins has begun treatment, after her family started fundraising to pay for the drug. So far, they’ve raised over $45,000 which came as a shock to the young family.
“It’s just been overwhelming, the amount of support we’ve received,” Ogrins said.
She’s hoping the remainder of the funds will be raised so she can finish her treatment and carry on being a loving mother to her little boy and girl.
“Especially when they’re so young and they change so quickly… to feel like I was missing out on that was really difficult. And I want to be here for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I’m going to come out of this. I’m going to come out of it stronger.”
For more information, visit Hope for Jocelyn’s website.
*Calls to the province and drug company for comment were not returned Friday
With files from Tom Vernon, Global News