Landen is a 6-year-old boy who lives in Sooke. He was diagnosed with an illness called Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) which often leaves him crippled with pain.
According to a Global news report, Landen’s mother Jillian Lanthier says they have already tried two of the three treatment options with no luck.
The third and final option is a drug called ‘Canakinumab’ – it costs about $19,000 a month, which comes to over $225,000 a year.
A mother’s desperate appeal to the provincial government
The family was denied PharmaCare coverage and if the illness goes untreated, it could kill Landen.
So as a final, desperate measure, his mom reached out to Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix in an attempt to have the provincial government fund Landen’s treatment.
The Ministry of Health responded to her letter, stating “The Ministry of Health has just been made aware of this case and will be reaching out to the family to look into the case further.”
In the meantime…
For now, Lanthier has started a petition to get B.C. PharmaCare to support and fund canakinumab therapy for children who need it.
She also created a GoFundMe campaign to raise more awareness about Landen’s case, stating that if the government funds the canakinumab treatment, she will donate any funds raised to Victoria General Hospital Paedeatric “Child Life” department.
 which often leaves him crippled with pain. ){kind=link}