A Sooke single mom is praying the province will okay her son for a pricey drug -- as the medication he's been on has failed to help him.
Jillian Lanthier's 6 year old son Landen was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis earlier this year, a rare and severe form of juvenile arthritis that can be life-threatening.
A drug that may help, canakinumab, costs $19-thousand a month, but the BC Government has so far refused to approve it's use for Landen.
While she waits for a change of heart -- Lanthier has started a GoFundMePage:
"I just started a GoFundMe to bring awareness and hopefully a bit of advocacy to what we're dealing with. The GoFundMePage is called Landen's Fight for canukinumab. If I can get the BC Government to fund this drug for Landen I do plan on donating the funds back to VGH to the Child Life Department."
Lanthier says Landen lives in constant pain. She hopes by raising awareness of what the rare disease does to children's lives the BC Government will to do the right thing and okay the drug for Landen and kids like him.