Making a Difference for Merre as She Fights Cancer

Hi, my name is Merre. 14 years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic form of leukemia, and I have been on chemotherapy ever since.

Prior to this diagnosis, I had been a nurse for almost 25 years. I enjoyed working in the medical field and providing care to others. I also enjoyed running, biking, swimming, horseback riding, and being a part of several outdoor clubs and training groups. I even competed in marathons and triathlons!

The diagnosis has completely changed my life. I was unable to continue working and am no longer able to do the activities mentioned above due to the cancer itself, side effects of the treatment, immunosuppression, risk of bleeding, and other medical issues that have developed.

I have had to modify my life and find joy in other activities. I have had ongoing difficulty tolerating the entire classification of drugs used to treat this blood cancer. After much trial and error with my oncologist, we finally found a drug that I could tolerate.

I have been fortunate to receive aid from a copay assistance program to help meet my monthly $1,500-$2,000 copay amount. I recently opened a letter that I thought was my annual recertification form, but instead, I was informed that my chemotherapy drug had been removed from their program. I have received my last shipment of meds covered by this program that will get me through the end of December, but as of January 1, I am at a loss and honestly don’t know what I am going to do.

I am unable to pay for this medication on my own, and can’t continue to live without it. I have tried to research other ways to help pay for this, but have had no luck. That is why I am making this appeal for help here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. To anyone who is able to donate, I truly appreciate your kindness and am so very grateful!