Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Gallagher. Seven-year-old Holly Zerk is bravely battling neuroblastoma. With the support of her mum, Leanne, and her dad, Travis, Holly has spent the last 13 months undergoing intense treatment, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy which have left her seriously immunocompromised. High-risk neuroblastoma is the deadliest form of cancer affecting young children, with devastating survival rates of around 50 per cent.

However, a groundbreaking new treatment approved in the US, known as DFMO, has been shown to dramatically increase survival rates in children to around 75 per cent. This could potentially save Holly's life and the lives of many other young children. Minister, will the government respond to the desperate calls of parents like Leanne and Travis with children battling high-risk neuroblastoma and provide urgent fast-track assistance to access the potential life-saving treatment in Australia?