WATCH: Global viewers have come through in a big way for a BC family that hopes a last-ditch treatment will save their son’s life. Elaine Yong reports.
UPDATE: Fundraising is giving 18-year-old Kyle McConkey a fighting chance.
With the help of dontations from British Columbians and people worldwide McConkey, who is battling a rare form of leukemia and given just weeks to live, has raised more than $200,000 for an experimental treatment in Seattle.
The treatment, which costs $225,000 is McConkey’s only option.
Kyle has now been cleared to go to Seattle to take part in the clinical trial. He will be heading down for his first appointment on Dec.10.
Previous story:
Earlier this month, 18-year-old Kyle McConkey of Tsawwassen was told he had just weeks to live.
For two years he’s been fighting a rare form of leukemia. At first, he was given a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother. While that was initially successful, the leukemia returned with a vengeance earlier this year.
A second transplant failed, and doctors at Children’s Hospital told Kyle’s family they were out of options.
“It was awful, he was devastated,” says his father Ross. “They were going to stop treatment.”
Now, a clinical trial in Seattle has given Kyle a ray of hope – but it’s an expensive ray.
The Seattle Children’s Hospital is taking part in an experiment for a new immunotherapy, which fights a disease using a patient’s own immune system instead of chemotherapy.
READ MORE ABOUT THE THERAPY HERE
Kyle and his medical team are working hard to make sure he’s medically cleared to take part in the study, but because he’s Canadian, none of it can be insured. The Seattle hospital has been in touch with the family, and while they’re open to accepting him, they can only treat Kyle if his family can pay.
The cost will run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the McConkeys will do anything, including selling their house, to raise the funds.
“Even if it buys him six months or a year, it gives him enough time to try another transplant. We can’t give up,” says his mom Jo-Anne.
“You have to try everything.”
Because of the possibility of being accepted in the program, Kyle has resumed taking treatments. He has an appointment in Seattle on December 10. Until that time, Kyle and his family can only raise money, and hope he makes it until then.
“He’s not prepared to die,” says Ross.
“He wants to live, so we’re going to try our damnedest.”
An online fund has been set up to support the McConkeys. You can contribute by clicking this link.
Comments