My name is Tori Saylor, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Digital Director at Patients For Affordable Drugs. As we near the end of my first week, I wanted to take a moment to tell you why I joined this fight.
Tori smiling at the camera holding her cat named Rory, who is definitely not smiling.
It’s pretty simple — I joined this movement because I believe that your story matters.
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Like so many of us, I did not have a moment to process my diagnosis with an incurable, degenerative neurological disease before the cruelty of Big Pharma sent me into a panic.
I learned that from there on out I would depend on multiple medications to treat the symptoms of my disease and to delay future relapses as long as possible. The disease modifying drug that I need for the rest of my life, Ocrevus, has a price tag of $33,474 for each infusion. Knowing that I was suddenly only a job loss, insurance change, or coverage lapse away from financial ruin was unbearably lonely.
Tori is sitting in a hospital chair and covered in a blanket while pointing at her infusion IV and sarcastically smiling.
Then, I found stories from other patients.
These stories were about people just like me, who suddenly found themselves facing a diagnosis they did not choose and prescription drugs with prices they could not afford. Not only did stories from patients like you inspire me to share my own, they’re also going to drive change in our broken drug pricing system.
Tori standing with former P4AD Digital Director Sam Reid and P4AD Patient Advocate Karolina Chorvath at Chronicon in 2019. They are smiling at the camera and have their arms around each other’s shoulders.
It is an exciting time to join Patients For Affordable Drugs — your stories are fueling the best chance we have had in years for passing comprehensive drug pricing reform to bring down the high prices we all face.
I know from personal experience that our stories have the power to create change.
That is why I am so grateful to the community of patients who have already shared their stories with us. And now, I am asking the rest of you to join us and share yours.
Let’s create a better future for patients together.
