Help My Husband Mark Access a Life-Saving Cancer Treatment Not Yet Covered in Ontario

My name is Mary Vella, and I’m writing with a heavy heart about my husband, Mark — a devoted father, husband, and lifelong resident of Hamilton, Ontario.

Mark is 49 years old and has been courageously battling metastatic Stage 4 colon cancer since August 2023. Together, we are raising our two beautiful daughters, Lola (13) and Margot (10) — they are the light of our lives and Mark’s greatest motivation to keep fighting.

Since his diagnosis, Mark has endured numerous treatments, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, palliative radiation, and a clinical trial at Princess Margaret Hospital. When none of these treatments were able to stop the cancer’s progression, we paid thousands out of pocket for a specialized genetic test not covered by OHIP.

That genetic test revealed a critical and rare finding: Mark’s cancer carries a HER2-positive (IHC3+) mutation. This explains why traditional treatments failed and confirmed that a targeted HER2 therapy was needed.

From Fall 2024 until recently, Mark was receiving TUKYSA, a targeted HER2 therapy from Pfizer, through a compassionate access program. It was a lifeline for us — but tragically, it is no longer working. His cancer has started to progress again.

Now, we are facing one final hope: a targeted treatment called Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), developed by AstraZeneca.

Enhertu has shown remarkable success in treating cancers with the same HER2 mutation. It is approved by Health Canada and funded in Ontario for breast and stomach/esophageal cancers. Enhertu has been approved by Health Canada for use in Colon Cancers like Mark’s— however, Cancer Care Ontario has not yet funded Enhertu for colon cancer, and this approval process can take years — but we don’t have time to wait.

This means Mark cannot access Enhertu unless we pay for it out of pocket.

The cost is staggering: approximately $12,000 every three weeks, indefinitely if the treatment is successful. This is far beyond what our family can afford. Our insurance does not cover it, and Cancer Care Ontario’s compassionate access program has declined to review Mark’s case.

Mark’s oncologist has made it clear: Enhertu is Mark’s only remaining treatment option. It could give him precious time — time to be with us, watch our daughters grow, and create more memories together.

We have exhausted every possible avenue — government agencies, insurance providers, drug manufacturers, and even explored current clinical trials — but we’ve hit a wall. So now, I’m doing something no wife ever wants to do: I’m asking for help.

Every donation will go directly toward funding Mark’s treatment with Enhertu, along with related medical costs such as infusion services and supportive care. Our hope is that the treatment works and gives us the most valuable thing we could ever ask for — time.

Mark is the heart of our family — a man who has always put others before himself. Watching him fight this battle with such courage and grace has been both inspiring and heartbreaking. Our girls adore their dad, and I can’t bear the thought of them losing him when there is a treatment that could help — if only we could afford it.

This journey has been an uphill battle for us, filled with uncertainty and challenges as we navigate a very grey area when it comes to coverage and support for Mark’s treatment. Every day brings new obstacles, but also hope and determination to keep fighting—not just for Mark, but for all cancer patients facing similar battles.

If you can contribute — even a small amount — or simply share this page, you would be helping us in the most profound way possible. You’d be giving us a chance to keep our family together a little longer.

While it’s unlikely that we will secure funding, please know that every donation means the world to us. If we do manage to secure funding, we will do our best to return donations or, if that’s not possible, donate them in the donor’s name—because this cause is bigger than any one person.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading our story, sharing it, and giving us hope.

With gratitude,

Mary Vella

(on behalf of Mark, Lola, and Margot)

Hamilton, Ontario