A Bittersweet Story

Noor Ayesha, her husband, and daughter.

"The fight to save the life of a young Kitchener, Ont. woman has come to a sad end

"Noor Ayesha died Sunday after battling the rare and deadly cholangiocarcinoma, better known as bile duct cancer.

"The 26-year-old gave birth in February 2023, shortly after her Stage 4 diagnosis. Ayesha had hoped to extend her life so she could spend as much time as possible with her baby daughter. A drug, called Pemigatinib and sold under the brand name Pemazyre, was key to achieving that.

"As it wasn’t covered in Ontario, the community rallied to help cover the drug’s $15,000 per month price tag.

"Just last month, there was a breakthrough in the Ayesha’s fight for the cancer drug.

"The province finally decided to fund the Pemigatinib on a case-by-case basis.

'“This came from promising new, real-world evidence as well as patient and family advocacy that prompted the manufacturer to make a resubmission to the CDA-AMC for the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA),” read a statement from Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the Minister of Health."

Read More: Kitchener, Ont. woman with incurable cancer dies, fight continues to get provincial funding for expensive drug treatment

Daniella Thackray Leaves Heartbreaking Message on LinkedIn

 

This is a heartbreaking story, as people as young as 25 aren't supposed to die from cholangiocarcinoma. What a brave woman, what a short life. Before she died, Daniella Thackray wrote:

If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember.

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.

Daniella added: ‘I really really do hope that in the years to come more research is done about this horrid cruel disease so that more lives can be saved.