Saskatchewan mother pleads for her daughter’s medication

April Buyaki said she hit a wall with the drug company, GSK, as well as the government, and that's why she is taking this issue to the public.

“It is a very humbling experience to beg for my daughter’s life.”

That’s from April Buyaki on a GoFundMe page set up to try to afford a life-saving treatment for her daughter’s rare disease.

Buyaki’s daughter Morgan has eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a chronic rare disease that’s caused by inflammation in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels.

The disease can be life-threatening, but a monthly injection of Nucala could save the 23-year-old Nipawin, Sask., resident’s life.

Buyaki said one injection of Nucala costs between $7,200 and $10,000.

“Her doctors have filled out the forms, and applied repeatedly, and finally they conceded to cover only 100mg of the 300mg she needs, and say we are responsible for the remaining 200mg. At a cost of $2,400- $3,200 per each 100mg, this is not possible and completely unaffordable. I don’t understand why the government is letting her die,” read the post.

Vicki Mowat with the Saskatchewan NDP held a press conference on this issue.

“Without access to this medication, the outlook for Morgan is very bleak. There’s about a 25 per cent survival chance without access to this medication, whereas with access to this medication it’s closer to 90 per cent.”