Family struggles to access cancer treatment for 11-year-old daughter
Kristy and Dave Costa are working hard to get their 11-year-old daughter the proper treatment she needs while she battles stage 4 melanoma.
“Lacey is a funny, sarcastic girl, has a great sense of humour, loves all animals, and wanted to be a veterinarian as she grows up,” says her dad, Dave.
In December 2021, her parents’ world was turned upside down when doctors informed them that their daughter had stage 3 metastatic melanoma.
Her mother was shocked when doctors told her that Lacey had to get a partial amputation of her left hand due to a cancerous mole.
“It's devastating as a family because it's hard to believe,” her mother told CTV News London on Monday.
While navigating the medical system her parents grew frustrated with the lack of urgency and accessibility being provided to their daughter, including postponed appointments and medical treatments that they are not able to access in Canada.
In April 2022 her pain came back, and scans determined that cancer spread throughout Lacey’s body, including her bones and lungs.
The young girl received immunotherapy treatment but it did not stop the spread, according to her parents.
“Immunotherapy with the targeted therapy would roughly be about $20,000 every three weeks,” her dad adds.
They have tried to get her into clinical trials including one in the U.S., but were not able to because they were told the hospital is at full capacity.
The family is currently trying to get Lacey life-saving treatments, but gaining access to the right medication for her is another challenge.
“There are medications out there that are not available to Canadian children, which is how it was explained to us,” Kristy explains.
Lacey’s mother says they were told that there aren’t currently many options for children with metastatic melanoma, and therefore getting access to the right treatment can take time.
“Her body is not responding the way she would like it to, or the way we would like it to, so we need these possibilities to give her that,” she says.
An avid dancer, Lacey danced at the O'Neill Academy of Dance for eight years.
“She's the most special girl, she makes everyone laugh, she's just the most beautiful, loving girl,” says dance teacher Kim O'Neill.
Feeling the need to help, her teacher started a GoFundMe page.
Their goal is to raise $75,000 to help the Costa family cover medical expenses.
Lacey has recently had to put her love for dance on hold, but that didn't stop her from competing earlier this year.
“Lacey had a partial hand amputation in December and six weeks later was on a competitive dance stage and performed and danced up until the end of May,” her teacher says.
A little girl with a big heart and the will to keep going, Lacey’s parents are still holding onto hope that they will get access to the right treatment for their daughter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.