MADISON AND HER FAMILY.
NOW, MINNESOTA'S MOST WATCHED
STATION, THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
GOOD EVENING, THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
A 7-YEAR-OLD'S FIGHT AGAINST A
RARE FORM OF CANCER BECAME
TOUGHER THIS WEEK.
MIKE MAXX FIRST BROUGHT YOU
THE STORY OF MADISON MERTZ ON
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS RALLY.
DOCTORS DIAGNOSED HER WITH STAGE
FOUR CANCER IN HER SPINAL CORD
IN NOVEMBER.
I SPOKE TO IT HER FAMILY AS THEY
NOW NAVIGATE A FINANCIAL FIGHT.
Reporter: MADISON MERTZ'S
SMILE AND LAUGH IS CONTAGIOUS.
THE 7-YEAR-OLD ENJOYS DOING
7-YEAR-OLD THINGS, LIKE MAKING
SLIME WITH FRIENDS.
LAST FALL, HER PARENTS THOUGHT
NECK PAIN MAY BE THE RESULT OF
GYMNASTICS.
INSTEAD, IT WAS STAGE FOUR
CANCER.
AND WE GOT NEWS SHE HAD A
TUMOR INSIDE HER SPINAL CORD.
AND IT WAS TOUGH.
OF COURSE.
Reporter: SINCE THEN,
SURGERY REMOVED 95% OF THE
TUMOR.
SHE'S GONE THROUGH RADIATION AND
NOW NEEDS CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT, A LITTLE
BIT APPROVED, GETTING IT
APPROVED, AND THE HOSPITAL WAS
TAKING CARE OF IT.
THE FIRST ONE WAS DENIED.
AND WE SAID OKAY, WE'LL GO TO
THE SECOND DENIAL.
AND THE SECOND ONE WAS DENIED,
THEY USED THE WORD
INVESTIGATIONAL.
Reporter: IT'S EXTREMELY
RARE IN KIDS.
GENETIC TESTING SHOWS DOCTORS
WHAT WORKS FOR SOME ADULTS WON'T
WORK FOR MADISON.
MADISON, SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE
CAUSE IN FAVOR, SHE'S 7, SHE'S A
PEDIATRIC PATIENT, ALL THE
STUDIES ARE AN ADULTS.
Reporter: THE
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
IN MINNESOTA IS DOING EVERYTHING
THEY CAN TO GIVE HER MORE TIME
WITH HER FAMILY.
IF YOU HAVE --
Reporter: THERE ARE TARGETED
PEDIATRIC DRUGS DR. BENDAL
THINKS COULD HELP MADISON.
WITH THIS TYPE OF CANCER, SHE
SAYS, IT ATTEMPTS TO COME BACK
SIX TO 10 MONTH AFTER RADIATION.
ONE CHILD COULD SAY WELL, WE
DO RADIATE, SURGERY, RADIATION,
AND THEN THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TO
OFFER.
THE OTHER OPTION IS MAYBE
THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT
WILL WORK, WE DON'T HAVE, WE
DON'T HAVE PROOF THAT IT WILL
WORK, BUT AT LEAST IT GIVES US
HOPE.
Reporter: THAT'S WHAT
DR. BENDAL HAS PRESCRIBED, HOPE,
CHEMO DRUGS THAT WILL COST
$20,000 A MONTH, NOT COVERED BY
INSURANCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE SYSTEM'S
BROKEN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS
EVER RIGHT.
BUT, BUT, THERE'S, IT SHOULD BE
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
TOOK OUT TO GIVE DRUGS TO OUR
PATIENTS.
Reporter: MADISON'S NURSE
CASE MANAGER IS WORKING
TIRELESSLY IN HER BEHALF.
IN THE DREAM WORLD, IF
ONCOLOGY TEAM DID THE RESEARCH
AND DID THE TESTS AND FELT THESE
WERE THE BEST MEDICATIONS, THEY
WOULD BE COVERED BY THE
INSURANCE COMPANY.
IT'S FRUSTRATING BUT IT'S ALSO
JUST DISHEARTENING THAT YOU HAVE
THESE PATIENTS THAT ARE SICK AND
THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT YOU CAN DO
FOR THEM, DENY THEIR MEDICATION.
Reporter: THROUGH MADISON'S
JOURNEY, HER PARENTS HAVE
LEARNED A DEEPER LOVE THEY NEVER
KNEW EXISTED.
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
[ CRYING ]
Reporter: AND SO, THE MERTZ
FAMILY PLANS TO PAY FOR THE
CHEMOTHERAPY ON THEIR OWN WHILE
THEY FIGHT THE INSURANCE
COMPANY.
THE HEALTH COSTS, YOU KNOW,
DRIVING UP ON BANKRUPTCY, YOU
DON'T WANT THE HINDSIGHT OF I
SHOULD'VE, COULD'VE, YOU JUST DO
IT.
SO, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING AT
THE TIME RIGHT NOW.
AND TIME IS CRITICAL.
TODAY I LEARNED MADISON'S LATEST
MRI SHOWED SIX NEW TUMORS IN HER
BRAIN AND SPINE.
THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOLD US
THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT
SITUATION, AETNA IS VERY
SYMPATHETIC TO THE FAMILY.
THE MEDICATIONS ARE EXPERIMENTAL
FOR TREATING THIS AND AETNA IS
WORKING WITH THE FAMILY TO HELP
THEM WITH STEPS.
AFTER TWO DENIALS, THE FAMILY
REQUESTED AN EXTERNAL REVIEW,
THAT COULD TAKE MONTHS, TIME
THEY DON'T HAVE.
WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE DRUG
COMPANIES FOR WHAT'S CALLED
COMPASSIONATE FUNDING, HOPING
THEY WILL PAY FOR THE
MEDICATION.