When her lymphoma relapsed less than a year after chemotherapy, Irene was on the ground in Shanghai within a week. Her account, in her own words.
Irene
Irene was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years ago, had six sessions of chemotherapy, and reached complete remission. Less than a year later, she relapsed.
By the time the lymphoma returned she had two tumours on her spine, one of them pressing on the spinal cord and causing numbness down one leg. Her doctors in New Zealand gave her about a week to decide: either she found something else, or she started chemotherapy again straight away.
It was those same New Zealand doctors who suggested CAR T-cell therapy, and said it would give her the best chance. It was not available to her at home. Her husband began working through which countries offered it.
They also spoke to New Zealanders who had already travelled for treatment, and made contact with SinoUnited Health. What followed still surprises her — the reply came almost immediately, and the week she had been given turned out to be enough.
“Within a week of speaking with her, we were here in Shanghai and in the hospital having treatment.”— Irene
She had never been to China, and admits they were unsure at first about what they were coming to. The reassurance came from other New Zealanders who had already been, and who told her what the care had been like.
“It was reassuring having other Kiwis tell us of their experiences.”— Irene
She had a fever for a few days and felt miserable for about a week. Nothing became critical, and she is warm about how the symptoms were managed. She needed radiation as well, which SinoUnited Health does not provide — so the team took her to a public hospital to have it.
The thing she cites most often is speed. When she was unwell and needed a CT scan, she had one within about ten minutes, at nine o’clock on a Saturday night. You ring the bell, she says, and someone comes; you can see a doctor within minutes.
She went home still weak, and describes getting stronger week by week over two and a half months — not back to full strength, but a long way from where she was. She has since returned to Shanghai for her three-month follow-up, which was the first target she had set herself.
“I’ve had excellent results. At this stage, I’m in complete remission. Fingers crossed that it carries on.”— Irene
Blood tests and scans every three months for the next year. Her next targets are the one-year mark, and then five years.
Irene was treated for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Learn about CAR T-cell therapy for this condition.
Every patient’s journey is unique. The experiences described here are personal accounts and are not a prediction of results for anyone else.
A short eligibility check is the first step. It asks only for basic contact details and your diagnosis — your records are then reviewed by our hematology team.
Emma
A chef from Gisborne who had run out of options at home, and the community that rallied to get her to Shanghai.
Read Emma’s story
Dale
An Auckland construction manager whose lymphoma didn’t respond to chemotherapy, and the choice he faced.
Read Dale’s story
Tim
An author and lifelong cyclist with high-risk myeloma, who couldn’t access CAR-T at home.
Read Tim’s story