Photo: Supplied
A New Zealand blood cancer patient has been forced to leave his four children behind and make a last chance dash to Australia for treatment
His case has prompted dozens of doctors to write an open letter to the prime minister, pleading for change.
Tawhai Reti was 29 when he was diagnosed with myeloma in 2019.
After going through two stem cell transplants, Reti started on the last funded drug treatment available in New Zealand last year.
But his health continued to rapidly decline, and in December he developed pneumonia and sepsis.
Having exhausted all funded treatment options, he was told he had weeks to live.
The 37-year-old former shearer and his wife then made the difficult decision to leave their family and go to Australia to get drugs that are not funded here.
Reti's wife Lani told Checkpoint they had spoken about moving to Australia in October, but were hesitant about leaving their children behind.
But after his rapid decline, Lani knew it was time to go.
"After a couple of weeks watching Tawhai just lying around, not able to do anything other than sleep and be in pain, I woke up and just realised I couldn't accept it.
"He was dying right in front of my eyes."
Photo: Supplied
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