No one wants to be in the position of needing a stem cell transplant. It is a gruelling aggressive treatment which takes a long time to recover from and in most cases has long term health issues. If you are unlucky your transplant can fail, there are many things which can cause this but it is devastating if it happens and you would think a second transplant would be available to you if you need it.
When I was deciding whether to go ahead with treatment you are told there is a chance it might not work and if you need a second transplant and your specialists think it is the best option for you it would be available.
This is now not the case NHS England has decided it will no longer routinely fund second transplants and those people who need one have to apply for funding but unless there are exceptional circumstances it is unlikely you will get it. This means patients and their families are having to go through this extra stress at an awful time in their lives when they have already struggled and battled so long through a first transplant.
When they are denied funding the only option is to pay for it yourself this treatment can cost between £150.000 to £250.000 an almost impossible amount when you are already stretched financially from years of illness.
One of my fellow patients at Kings Hospital is going through this now and I cant imagine how stressful and heartbreaking it is for her and her family. Many have rallied to try and help Sasha to raise the money for a second transplant and are campaigning on behalf of all patients who are facing this struggle.
Without a second transplant it is a death sentence, I know people who have had two transplants and are doing well so why deny people this treatment surely it will in fact cost more for palliative care that the NHS will have to pay for these patients
Please sign Sasha’s petition and if you can spare a few pennies for her fund
https://www.gofundme.com/rvg4m54m
https://www.change.org/p/give-sasha-a-chance-don-t-stop-funding-second-stem-cell-transplants?recruiter=638622341&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink