PERSISTENCE MAKES A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE

Auto-immune diseases can contribute to a decline in a patient’s health. In the case of Cindy Anderson of Sulphur, it caused her quality of life to steadily fall. The treatment team at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital doggedly pursued access to a recently approved medication that has drastically turned Anderson’s life around.

“Mrs. Anderson came to us in 2021 to begin infusion treatments due to her having cold agglutinin hemolytic anemia, or CAD, a condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own red blood cells,” explains Donna Nevils, RN, team member with WCCH’s Ambulatory Patient Treatment Center providing outpatient treatment. “This condition caused her to become extremely weak. She eventually came to her treatments in a wheelchair and she could not be as involved as she had been in the lives of her two grandchildren.”

Her oncologist, Mohammad Khan, MD, told Anderson about a promising medication. “Enjaymo was in trials at the time I began seeing Mrs. Anderson,” explains Dr. Khan. “I told her as soon as it was available, she would be a great candidate for it.”

The Federal Drug Administration approved Enjaymo in early 2022. It was difficult to obtain due to its newness to the market. The team at WCCH worked diligently to locate a source. “We searched New Orleans, Houston, Shreveport, Lafayette and beyond trying to locate a source,” explains Nevils. “We were finally able to access it within a few weeks. Once she began taking it, in two weeks, she was able to leave her wheelchair at home. She walked into her treatment appointment, and we all celebrated with her!”

Nevils reports that Anderson’s hemoglobin rose to normal ranges within a few doses of the new medication, which meant she did not need the regular blood transfusions any longer. “CAD is a rare autoimmune disorder, literally affecting about one in a million individuals per year. According to the research, Enjaymo looks to be an effective medication, helping to alleviate the symptoms which include overall decline in health, fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, among others,” explains Dr. Khan. “It is rewarding to see the relatively quick improvement Mrs. Anderson experienced and to see her regain her quality of life.”

Anderson is back to enjoying time with her two granddaughters. “This medication changed everything for me, I’m grateful we were able to find it. Dr. Khan and the nursing staff at WCCH’s APTC are wonderful. They have always been professional and helpful. I can’t say enough good things about them,” she says.