Karmo: Governor’s drug affordability board veto serves cancer patients

By MAIMAH KARMO, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

It’s been almost two decades since I heard the words “breast cancer” come out of my doctor’s mouth. I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly hard-to-treat type with low survival rates and limited treatment options. During my second round of chemotherapy, I vowed that if I survived, I would start an organization to advocate for women like me. Today, my organization, Tigerlily Foundation, does just that. We envision a future in which cancer is no longer a death sentence for so many, but rather a treatable condition. Recently, Virginia legislators sought to pass a law that would have stifled that dream — all while exacerbating health inequities. Thankfully, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed that bill with just hours to go before the deadline.

Karmo of Reston is a breast cancer survivor and is the founder and CEO of Tigerlily Foundation, a national women’s health and oncology organization.