Anya going to U.S. for testing

This is the latest chapter in Anya Martinez’s battle to beat the cancer that she’s had since the age of two. Seemingly out of options on this side of the border — tonight her family is getting ready to go to Philadelphia in their ongoing quest to see their six-year old girl cured — or at least in remission.

Six-year old Anya Martinez has big dreams: “She tells us all the time she wants to see things, she wants to see the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. She wants to be a world famous chef.”

But for much of her life, all she’s seen is the inside of a hospital room. Four years ago, Anya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer that attacks the blood and bone marrow. She’s had chemotherapy, full body radiation and a bone marrow transplant — everything Canadian medicine could offer, nothing worked.

Michael is Anya’s father: “Canada can’t help us. Where else are we going to go?”

The U.S.

They are leaving tomorrow for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to be tested for a clinical trial called ‘cart 19’.

Stephan Grupp is with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: “For that group of patients who has resistant disease we need something brand new and that’s ‘cart 19’. We get cells from the patient and engineer them to go after the cancer cells and kill them.”

And so far it’s proven to be 85 percent successful. 24 of 27 patients who have already undergone the treatment are in remission. But there’s a catch. It’s costs up to 800 thousand dollars and it’s not covered by OHIP because it’s a trial.

Michael says: “We’ve tried everything the government has approved and it hasn’t worked. I feel like they’ve given up on us. We’re paying into insurance like everyone else.”

The Philadelphia Children’s Hospital won’t enrol Anya in the trial until the Martinez family can prove they have the finances. So far the family has raised about 250 thousand dollars from friends, family and the public.

Michael said: “It’s unbelievable. Just when you think the world is going to a bad place, some people change your mind. We’ve got a bit of fight left in us. My daughter’s ready to keep going and so are we.

They’ve still got a lot of money to raise and the clock is ticking because this is a very aggressive cancer.

If the family can raise the money, Anya should be able to get into the trial in October.

To help Anya beat her cancer and reach her goal of becoming a world famous chef, you can go to this link at her website and to her Facebook page.