Many people take control of their own health and their own destiny to survive Hepatitis C. This is one person’s story of how she survived Hep C.

A Hep C Survivors Story

Greg Jefferys and my Hepatitis C Story

November 10, 2019

I live in Pennsylvania in the USA.  A few years back I had a series of blood tests. They were the first tests I’d had in over 20 years as I did not have medical insurance most of that time. I found out I had Hepatitis C. It gave me the answer to my question of why I was beginning to not feel well and have numerous other unexplained symptoms.

This was January of 2017.

Because my income was so low over a matter of years I was accepted on Medicaid. I was also in my 60’s but hadn’t yet received Social Security.

The state of PA  had this crazy rule that you could not receive the expensive medication to cure Hepatitis C until your liver was at a certain level of damage, or if you had cancer. I still don’t understand it all but my doctors didn’t agree with this reasoning for withholding treatment from people who need it until the disease progressed and their liver met a worse level of damage.

Hepatitis C treatment is often denied because a patient is “not sick enough” Such logic is counter to all conventions for treating disease and is simply the result of the crazy prices being charged for Hep C treatment

So, they said I needed to come in in 3 months and get checked regularly until the level was at “2”.

I thought this was horrible.

I know the treatment for Harvoni at the time in the USA was about $98,000.

I told them I was eating a special diet, not drinking any wine or beer all in the hopes of helping my liver and overall health yet I may be hurting myself in the prospects of getting treatment. They did not like it either but their hands were tied.

A friend of mine told me she found cheaper medications for herself and her brother in India and suggested I try to find something that way.

Cheap Hepatitis C Medicines from India

I started researching. I almost bought from an online pharmacy in India, which I was very wary of doing. Then I saw an article mentioning an advocate. I looked him up from the info and read about him.

His name was Greg Jeffreys and he lived across the world from me. This was April of 2017.

I contacted him and he said he could help me obtain generic Harvoni. He explained how the process worked. I needed to email my blood tests proving that I indeed had the disease.

I did this.

The price was $1000 ( prices have dropped since 2017 and it’s now less). He was even so kind as to deduct the amount that it cost me to wire the payment to him. He was in no way out to some big profit from me. He did explain that normally he took a small amount to help with his processing, work and time. I am not even sure if he charged for the shipping? He took care of everything and sent me tracking numbers to follow my shipment. Of course, it’s always normal in this day and age of scams and frauds to worry. He assured me it would be OK and I believed him. It was.

Generic Harvoni Arrives in May 2017.

The Hep C meds from India arrived in about 2 weeks. Three bottles of generic Harvoni.  This was May 2017.

I told my doctor I had ordered the treatment from India. She was surprised.

I explained that I couldn’t sit by and feel myself become sicker and allow my liver, mind and body to fall apart because of the State of PA and she understood. She said that we would both find out how it would all turn out.

I’d read that some doctors would no longer treat or test you if you got the meds from India and not through them but she was OK with it. I think she was curious to see if this was legit and if I would be cured. (I think the state of PA may have changed their rules since then??)

July 2017: Tests Show Virus Undetected

She tested me after 8 weeks. No sign of the virus. She said to continue and finish the rest since I had it already. I did.

August 2017: Cured

In August 2017 I was cured of Hepatitis C. Not through Medicaid but thanks to a man in Australia and Hepatitis C medicine from India.

I’ve been tested a few times after that. They do that each time you go to a new doctor.

As of the last test this Summer, I still test negative for any signs of Hepatitis C.

Greg always responded to my emails. He asked that I let him know the results as I got them and I did. He was happy to know I had been cured.

Greg is a life-saver to many! I am very grateful I found him and am forever thankful.

Sincerely,

Christine J

Pennsylvania, USA

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