I'm in today's New York Times—hope abounds

[ActiveMSers]

My five year dispute with my insurance company—the one where they refused to cover a life-saving stem cell transplant for my aggressive multiple sclerosis after all other treatments had failed—is finally resolved, and in the most dramatic fashion. My story is in the Sunday August 3 print edition of the New York Times, putting our struggles with this disease squarely on the world's stage.

Help keep it there. If you feel so inspired, please spread this message of hope.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/yo...20&tntemail0=y

[poppydarling]

Well done!

Well done and huge congratulations! I know how discouraging that process can be, and I'm sure I've stopped way too early in that fight, so you will be my inspiration now!

[highlandmck]

this is inspiring as i feel like i am same stage as david.
and like everything else banging my head against the wall when asking for a new treatment.
i will certainly look into this

[hunterd]

Yahoo for you! That was a wonderful article.

[KitOP]

You should be very proud of yourself and what you have achieved here.

Albeit on a much smaller level, I had to fight with Aetna a few years ago to cover Botox injections into my bladder. This was after the FDA approved it, they still denied stating it was an "experimental" treatment. Wrong.

I was surprised that after one long, scathing email to Aetna, they changed their minds.

But what this has to prove is that we CAN fight the big guys and win!

We all need to be our own advocates, no one else can do it for us.

Hooray for the little guys!!!!!

[Seasha]

Great news, Dave and what a way to be your own advocate with perseverance and determination. Some of us would cave in to the big insurance companies. You set a huge precedent and a great example for many of us!

Keep up the good work!
(p.s. Hope you don't have to pay the taxes- maybe that will be part 2?)

[JerryD]

I saw your most recent newsletter. You are an inspiring spokesman for the 'cause'. Keep it up. Good luck

[bree2013]

Fantastic!

That's great Dave. Your perseverance paid off - Congratulations! Perhaps this will set a precedence for coverage under other insurance companies.

Glad you're still doing well -
Bree

[ActiveMSers]

Thanks all. I've included more details on my experience over at ActiveMSers. There's a lot more to the story if folks are interested....

-Dave

[onlyairfare]

Congratulations Dave - you worked hard on this and really deserve it. Sometimes the Good Guys do win.

It's one pretty big step for you, but also a big step for all MSers. Thanks for your efforts on behalf of all of us.

[ActiveMSers]

Thanks onlyairfare. But I couldn't have achieved this without a tremendous amount of support from many generous people, some who went far out of their way to lend a hand. The real kudos go to them.

-Dave

[Cat Mom]

Way to go! Living in Canada, I couldn't imagine the struggles everyone goes through. It's so refreshing to score one for "the little guy". Huge congrats!
Jen

[ActiveMSers]

Thanks Jen. I guess my mom got it right when she named me David. Fortunately with all the help I got from everyone, I had a lot of stones for my slingshot.

-Dave