Thank you for standing behind me and others who are living with scary brain tumors. You have all made me feel heart-warmingly well supported.

Now that we have reached our petition goal, I have started to ask and my family and friends to write letters to their MP. If you would like to participate in this next step, that would be AMAZING! I have drafted a letter to make things easier. I know that many of you have brain cancer yourself, or have a loved one who does, so of course, please feel free to personalize and change the letter as you see fit!

A million heart-felt thank yous to you all!! 

Love,

Mia

Here is a link to make it easy to find your PM and their email:  https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en

And here is the letter:

Dear [name of MP],

I am writing to you with a plea for assistance on behalf of those with brain cancer. Until now, standard care consists of brain surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, treatments that carry significant toxicities.

In 2023, a drug called Vorasidenib was proven effective at extending life for brain cancer patients ( https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2304194 ). Vorasidenib is the first targeted drug developed for people with brain tumors, and the biggest breakthrough in brain cancer treatment in over 50 years. It does not have the same toxic side effects as chemotherapy and radiation.

Unfortunately, this life-extending medication is only available in the United States and remains inaccessible to Canadians, leaving patients without access to potentially life-extending treatment options. You cannot take this drug after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, so many Canadians are running out of time. We never thought we would see a breakthrough in brain cancer treatment in our lifetime, but it has come. Many Canadians desperately need this treatment, and they need it now.

As a supporter of those with brain cancer and a proponent of equitable healthcare, I ask you to use your influence and position within Parliament to advocate for the expedited approval and accessibility of this crucial brain cancer drug in Canada. By doing so, we can work towards ensuring that Canadian patients have timely access to the treatments they urgently need.

Thank you for your attention to this time-critical matter. I await your response and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you in addressing this pressing issue.

Sincerely,