For 33-year-old Kendall Takuta from Christchurch, the recent Pharmac announcement to fund more medicines for people with melanoma from 1 June is welcome news — not just for her, but for so many others facing the same fight.
Kendall pictured with her family
After a year of self-funding expensive targeted therapy, Kendall has hope that the funding will ease a huge financial burden and allow her to focus on what matters most: her family.
Mum to a 7-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and an 18-year-old stepson, Kendall is acutely aware of how precious time is.
It was January 2023, Kendall was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma after discovering a lump in her left breast while breastfeeding her son. Initially, she thought it was just a blocked duct, but after trying home remedies with no change, she visited the doctor.
The melanoma diagnosis came just one week before her daughter’s fifth birthday. “I was told it was melanoma cancer presenting in my breast, which is rare,” Kendall recalls.
Since then, Kendall has been undergoing a combination of treatments, including immunotherapy, which initially showed promise. But by March 2024, as her melanoma progressed to her brain, she was switched to unfunded medications Dabrafenib and Trametinib, costing her more than $5000 each month.
A givealittle page set up by her sister has seen a community of friends, family and strangers rally with support that has helped ease the financial burden. 
In updates to her supporters Kendall reminds people that for her; “Melanoma is an incurable disease. The medications that I am currently taking are helping prolong my life.”
For Kendall, this treatment offers hope of more time with her husband, John-Henry, and their two young children and she has been intentional about making sure they take every chance to experience meaningful moments together.
“I want to make memories with my kids and be there for them as they grow up. I’m determined to do everything I can to make that happen,” she says. “The funding could not only give me peace of mind but also mean more time to create those lasting memories.”
She’s closely followed the story of better access to cancer medicines including melanoma treatments for New Zealanders that’s drawn wide public attention over recent years.
Kendall’s hope for the funding proposal to be confirmed wasn’t just for herself; “It will make an enormous difference for many others fighting melanoma too.”
Throughout her journey, Kendall has been supported by her family, especially her husband, and is grateful for the care and expertise of her dedicated healthcare team in Christchurch.