The Star: November 23, 2023

The Star Thursday November 23 2023
6
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Day of diagnosis: ‘We thought
was being told.
“We thought they must have
had the wrong person,” Cox said.
While on the antibiotics, Cox
felt well and even won a race in
Timaru on October 1.
“That’s probably the bizarre
thing about it for someone who’s
fit and healthy and never had
anything more than a cold to
have a bit of a cough and find it’s
something so serious it certainly
surprises you,” she said.
Studies have found her rare
form of lung cancer, called non-
private health system.
Following her diagnosis, an appeal
was set up by Craig Wiggins,
Cox’s friend and the founder of
Whatever with Wiggy Charitable
Trust.
The appeal has now raised
about $300,000. Money has been
raised through at a Melbourne
Cup luncheon and auction at
Addington, as well as racers donating
an equivalent of a driving
fee or some of their winnings,
and general donations to the
appeal.
that otherwise you just couldn’t
really self-fund.”
Currently, the Osimertinib
oral drug she is on costs about
$120,000, with no indication
of how long she will need to be
taking it or any other drug in the
future.
All of the money raised is going
towards her treatment, including
the cost of the drug and other
medical costs.
Cox has now been on the
medication for about a month
and has noticed a difference.
‘Without that (community support), I could not have gone
onto this drug’ – Katie Cox
• From page 1
The x-ray did show some
blockage in her lung, but again
she was not worried.
“When it showed my lung
was a bit blocked there was a
possibility it could have just been
a bit of grit or something off the
track.
“It wasn’t until they did the CT
scan and biopsy that we knew it
was cancerous.”
It was about a month between
the first doctor’s visit and the
cancer diagnosis.
Cox, who was reluctant to talk
about the day she found out the
diagnosis, was with her mum
Wendy, and partner, when the
doctor delivered the news she had
lung cancer.
She still did not believe it as she
small-cell adenocarcinoma EGFR
Exon 20 with variant N771, is
more common in non-smokers
and women.
The oncologist has given Cox
no indication of what may have
been the cause.
Cox was told by the oncologist
because she was healthy the
cancer did not show any
symptoms until it was very
advanced.
The variant she has can be
treated through medication, with
Cox hoping research can produce
a cure. However the medication
is not funded, and all her
treatment has to go through the
“People in the industry and
outside of the industry have just
been so supportive,” Cox said.
Last week a yearling named
Courageous Katie sold for
$12,000 with all proceeds going
to the Katie Cox Appeal Fund. As
part of the sale, a 5 per cent share
in the ongoing ownership of the
filly will go to Cox.
Cox said without the support
of the community she would
not have been able to get the
treatment needed.
“Without that, I could not have
gone onto this drug. So I’ve been
really fortunate that it has given
me a chance to get onto a drug
HELP: Katie Cox has
received about $300,000,
thanks to a fundraising
appeal.
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