Sherry gets German medicine for cancer
Hodgkin’s lymphoma sufferer, Sherry de Boer, is fighting infection after receiving a second stem cell transplant in June this year.
Anthony de Boer, Sherry’s father-in-law, told the Herald that Sherry is struggling to fight a transplant-related Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection which resulted in her having to return to the hospital to get the CMV infection under control. “Initially, none of the medication being used worked.
“Eventually, the doctors resorted to a medication from Germany that was not registered in South Africa. They applied for special permission to use it. Permission was granted and an application was then made to Sherry’s medical aid to cover the cost of the treatment, over R200 000 for a 30-day course treatment,” he said. He said that the medical aid approved only 50% of the cost of the treatment.
Also read: Sherry receives stem cells from a young Swedish donor
“Sherry and her young family, who have already been pushed to the brink, financially, now have to come up with an additional R110 000 and possibly more, to cover the cost of this extra treatment,” Anthony said. Sherry has battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the past thirteen years. “She has had over 200 bags of chemotherapy, more than 40 sessions of radiation, one failed auto stem cell transplant, and a failed new drug trial.
“Sherry and Neil are so incredibly grateful for the generous help already extended to them through our initial Back-a-Buddy drive so it is hard to ask for even more assistance. If you are, however, able to assist with a donation it would mean the world to them,” Anthony said. For donations go to www. backabuddy.co.za/sharese-deboer-5596098510968234591.
