Sample Letters
Here are a few sample letters to use if you would like to send a letter to government requesting access to a therapy that is not approved for funding in your province or for more research dollars for lymphoma.
Sample Letter – Generic
[Your Name] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code] [Date] [The Honourable (Full Name)] [Title] [Department] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code]Dear [Recipient Name]:
- Introduce yourself. Insert a short paragraph explaining who you are.
Sample: For the past xxx months/ xxx years I have been battling non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which is a serious type of cancer that affects my lymphatic system.
- State your reason for writing. Share your story. Clarify your position.
Sample: Currently, I am being treated with some traditional therapies which hopefully will work. I have recently learned about some additional treatment options that will increase my chances of survival. I also learned, that for reasons I cannot fully comprehend, this therapy is not available universally in Canada. I am asking that you fund (insert therapy that applies to you here) in the province of (insert your province here). Unfortunately for me, it is not available in our province. I urge you to take the necessary progressive steps to ensure that all Canadians have equal access to lifesaving drugs.
- Summarize and reiterate your position/request. Request a reply.
Sample: My quality of life will be prolonged and enhanced if this drug is available to me. I would like the same opportunities afforded to me, as it is to my fellow Canadians. I would like equal and accessible access to life. I look forward to hearing back from you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample Letter – Radioimmunotherapy
[Your Name] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code] [Date]The Honourable (Full Name)] [Title, Department] [Street address] [City, Province, Postal Code]
Dear [Recipient Name]:
Re: Radioimmunotherapy, Zevalin and Bexxar
For the past xxx months/years I have been battling XXX, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a serious type of cancer that affects my lymphatic system. I understand with relapsed lymphoma I may not be treated with Rituxan if I have received it in my initial therapy and I live outside of the approved provinces; consequently, the only treatment option that may be available to me is chemotherapy, which may or may not put me into remission. I have recently learned about additional treatment options that Health Canada has approved but that our province will not fund. This therapy is known as radioimmunotherapy.
For reasons I cannot fully comprehend, this therapy is not available universally in Canada. Unfortunately for me, it is not available in our province which means that I will be treated with a therapy that is substandard. I urge you to take the necessary progressive steps to ensure that we have equal access to radioimmunotherapy drugs – Bexxar and Zevalin.
I would like the same opportunity afforded to me, as it is to my fellow Canadians, essentially, I would like equal and accessible access to life. I look forward to hearing back from you in the very near future on the actions that will be taken to ensure that this is reviewed for funding approval.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample Letter – Rituxan Retreatment
[Your Name] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code] [Date] [The Honourable (Full Name)] [Title] [Department] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code]Dear [Recipient Name]:
For the past (XX) months/years I have been battling follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a serious type of cancer that affects my white blood cells and my lymphatic system.
I have recently relapsed and also have recently learned about some treatment options that could work more effectively than traditional chemotherapy alone. From what I understand, although Rituxan was used to treat me when I was first diagnosed, it is not an option to me as a retreatment therapy. Being treated with Rituxan again could increase my chances of survival, which is why I urge you to take the necessary progressive steps to fund this drug therapy in our province.
My quality of life will be prolonged and enhanced if Rituxan retreatment is available to me. I would like the same opportunity afforded to me, as it is to my fellow Canadians. I would like equal and accessible access to life. I look forward to hearing back from you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample Letter – Campath
[Your Name] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code] [Date] [The Honourable (Full Name)] [Title] [Department] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code]Dear [Recipient Name]:
For the past (XX) months/years I have been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which is a serious type of cancer that affects my white blood cells and my lymphatic system.
Currently, I am being treated with some traditional therapies which hopefully will work. I have recently learned about a new treatment option called Campath, which is different than chemotherapy. It is a monoclonal antibody therapy that works by targeting a specific antigen found on abnormal lymphocytes. Campath could increase my chances of survival, but for reasons I cannot fully comprehend, this therapy is not available universally in Canada. Unfortunately for me, it is not available in our province. I urge you to take the necessary progressive steps to ensure that all Canadians have equal access to lifesaving drugs.
My quality of life will be prolonged and enhanced if Campath is available to me. I would like the same opportunities afforded to me, as it is to my fellow Canadians. I would like equal and accessible access to life. I look forward to hearing back from you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample Letter – Hodgkin Research
[Your Name] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code] [Date] [The Honourable (Full Name)] [Title] [Department] [Street Address] [City, Province, Postal Code]Dear [Recipient Name]:
For the past (XX) months/years I have been living with Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a type of cancer that affects my white blood cells and my lymphatic system. It is alarming that so little is focused on this type of cancer and yet it affects so many young people in Canada and we don’t even know the cause. We know that it is on the rise and we are not doing anything to prevent this from escalating to an even larger problem.
I would like the Canadian government to spend more dollars on research and encourage more research in this area. I look forward to hearing back from you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
