Written by: Minki Fourie
Article source: JOY! Magazine

Imagine being diagnosed with cancer, only to discover that the very treatment that could save your life is financially out of reach. This heartbreaking reality faces countless individuals worldwide, as life-saving immunotherapy remains an unaffordable luxury.

What is immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy, a groundbreaking approach that harnesses the body’s immune system to combat cancer, offers hope to patients with otherwise dire prognoses. Yet, its exorbitant cost threatens to extinguish that hope for many.

The cost of immunotherapy is staggering:

  • A single immunotherapy session can cost upwards of R80 000 per bag.
  • Treatment courses often require multiple sessions – up to 18 in some cases – totalling R1 440 000 or more.
  • Some patients may need ongoing treatment, making sustained affordability impossible.
  • Medical aid companies are often hesitant to cover this treatment, likely due to the astronomical costs involved.

A broken system
It feels like the system is broken. How can life-saving treatment be so expensive and out of reach for most people? Are pharmaceutical companies prioritising profits over patients’ lives? We cannot sit idly by while those who need treatment are denied access. The human cost is too great.

A call to action
We must demand change. Until then, we’ll continue to lose loved ones – not just to cancer, but to the cruel economics of survival. Let’s unite to make life-saving treatments like immunotherapy accessible to all, regardless of financial means. The value of human life cannot be measured in rands and cents.

A plea for help
With that said, I would like to make a plea on behalf of an extraordinary individual who is in desperate need of this treatment. He has spent his life serving his community, spreading the Gospel, helping those in need, and showing enormous compassion and love to everyone he meets – my dad, Reverend Barry Fourie (73 years old).

Despite lifelong contributions to a reputable South African medical aid on a good plan – R7500 per month for both him and my mother, which is more than half of his monthly pension – they have refused to cover this life-saving treatment. This has been absolutely devastating for our family.

My dad’s journey
You can read all about my dad’s journey on my BackaBuddy campaign. He came to marry me and my husband in Stellenbosch this past June, and since then, he has not been able to return to his home in the Eastern Cape…

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Date published: 27/10/2024
MINKI FOURIE – Cell: 082 4640 561, email: miena3@gmail.com

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