A Vernonm B.C., woman fighting an aggressive type of lymphoma is the first person in the province to get approved for cutting-edge therapy as a second-line treatment.
“I’m just grateful that that I do qualify for it,” Warnes told Global News. “I want to be around for my kids, my kids are young still and I need to be here.”
Last year, the 40-year-old woman was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma and underwent lengthy and aggressive chemotherapy.
When she went back to her oncologist this past September, Warnes was expecting to receive promising news.
“All of my doctors expected it to be in remission. Nobody really expected anything else,” Warnes said.
Instead, she received another shocking diagnosis.
“Not only was I not in remission, but a new cancerous tumour had grown,” Warnes said. “Absolutely devastating to myself and my entire family.”
But Warnes is hoping new therapy that just became available in B.C. this year will help save her life.
Called CAR-T cell therapy, the treatment involves taking the patient’s immune cells or T-cells and genetically altering them in a lab.
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Those cells are then infused back into the body to fight the cancer.
“There’s no guarantees for anything, but I do know that this is my best chance of recovery,” Warnes said.
Normally, CAR-T is only approved as a third-line treatment option, when two prior treatments are unsuccessful.
But because her aggressive form of chemo didn’t put the cancer into remission the first time, it’s unlikely it would work the second time around.
Her oncologist applied for CAR-T and was successful, making her the first person in B.C. to get it approved as a second line treatment.
“I feel super privileged for her to have to be able to have it, said Andie’s husband Donovan Warnes. “I’m trying to be as positive as I can and I am positive. This is the best treatment she can get, best around and she’s a fighter.”
Warnes is heading to Vancouver for the treatment at the end of the month, where she will remain for at least a month, possibly longer.
Friends and relatives are rallying around the family to offer support including financial support as they navigate the coming weeks during the lengthy treatment.
“I just think it is really great to sort of help them with the financial piece but just to also sort of feel that there’s more people in this with them,” said Deon Soukeroff, Andie’s longtime friend who launched the online fundraiser.
“Even if people can’t financially donate just to spread the word.”
For more information or to donate, you can go to the GoFundMe page.