Nobody should ever have to make a cold call to save a life.
Last June, we identified a drug that Sara's oncology team believed could be effective, given the genetic mutations of her cancer. The catch? The drug was approved for colorectal cancer, not TNBC (Triple Negative Breast Cancer). With her current treatment faltering and the remaining 'traditional options' not expected to work for more than a month or two, Sara decided she wanted to try the drug, despite it being an off-label use.
That’s when the obstacles began…
To access the drug, we had to apply for compassionate use with the drug manufacturer and receive multiple denials from her insurance carrier, despite the drug not being approved for her type of cancer.
Despite weekly messages to her oncology team, increasingly urgent calls to the insurance carrier, angry phone calls to the drug manufacturer, and ultimately, cold calls and emails to executives at the drug manufacturer, it took over THREE F*cking months to get her application approved and to switch treatments.
And it wasn't our oncology team that got it done—it was my cold outreach. I received the note below in mid-September, and the next day it was approved.
Nobody should have to cold call executives to get treatment…
Ultimately, the delay was costly. Despite Sara's tumor levels declining for the first time in months immediately after her first treatment, her disease had already taken a tremendous toll, and we were forced to start hospice after just two treatments.
I wholeheartedly believe that Sara had more quality time, which was stolen by our system.
As much as I want to put cancer behind me, this experience is one of the many reasons I joined the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and am fighting in Sara Zuleta-Acosta's name.
I am committed to ensuring every patient receives timely, effective care to beat TNBC.
PS - If you’d like to support my fight, see the link in comments. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the support we’ve received.
Administrative tasks can be overwhelming, especially during a cancer diagnosis. It’s great to see you stepping up to simplify the journey for patients, ensuring they can focus on their health rather than paperwork. Great work!