. Sunday ` brought to you by the first-ever Mazda CX3. Tonight on Sunday ` what's the real price of your life? You can't beat being alive, can you? It's the new drug that beat his melanoma. It was the best day. Everyone that we loved was there. Got to dance all night with Dad. Have I seen a drug restore someone to complete health from melanoma? But what price the lives of hundreds of Kiwi cancer sufferers? I cashed in my KiwiSaver, maxed out my credit cards, um, got some help from the family. It's very desperate. Patients are desperate, and so are their oncologists. They say lightning never strikes twice. We've spoken to a man, Melvin Roberts, who says he's been struck 11 times. Just how unlucky is Melvin? > Melvin's very unlucky. THUNDER BOOMS Captions by Tariqa Satherley. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. Right now, lives are hanging in the balance ` in fact, hundreds of NZ lives. Lives doctors believe could be saved by a medical breakthrough on one of our biggest killers ` skin cancer. It's so big that Australia is already providing it free to patients; NZ is not. Tonight a Kiwi doctor who has to watch her patients die while NZ decides is speaking out. But first the evidence of one man who counts himself extremely lucky. This from Ian Sinclair. Grant Looker, loving every minute of life because, as a nurse, he knows he should be dead. Yeah, well, I've seen people die` quite a lot of people die over the years. I've been nursing for 35 years. And doctors agree he owes his life to a revolution in cancer treatment. There's no doubt he wouldn't be alive without this drug. He would've been dead months ago. A revolution saving lives worldwide, yet still beyond the reach of too many Kiwis. So, how often have you had to watch people die because they can't afford these drugs, which aren't funded here? Quite frequently. < They die? Yes. To know how lucky this keen Taranaki surfer is, you have to know just how ill he was. Four and a half years ago, Grant Looker's trained nursing eye noticed something odd. I had a small mole-type thing on my arm, and it went black when I scratched it. I went to my GP and it came back as melanoma. As a nurse, what did you think when you saw that black mark? Once I got the results back, I was fairly worried. Melanoma, a skin cancer, is the scourge of Kiwi sun-worshippers. With our outdoor lifestyle and strong ultraviolet light, NZ has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. And every year, this cancer alone claims around 300 lives. I'd be walking down the beach and it's a beautiful sunset, or walking the dogs, and I'd think, 'Shit, I wonder how many more of these I'm gonna see?' A series of operations couldn't stop his cancer. Mid last year he got the bad news. At that stage, you` they call you stage four melanoma, which is terminal. The local oncologist just basic` basically said they had nothing to offer me, so that was it. For this once-healthy man, the time had come for final family farewells. I've got two kids. Uh, Abbey's 26 and Isaac's 22. It's terrifying. You feel like your world is collapsing. I don't think I accepted it, but I think that I recognised the likelihood that it was gonna go bad. They were` They were great, the kids. They were really supportive and they basically dropped their lives and spent their time with me, stayed with me and, you know, making the most of that time. This time last year, it got this bad. I'm not scared of dying, but` but I get sad about the` the things I'll miss out on. Grandkids, that sort of stuff. Then, a glimmer of hope. My brother, Brett, sort of, contacted the Melanoma Institute in Sydney. They were experts in the field, so I jumped on a plane, um, and flew over there. Overseas, doctors were scoring success with a group of revolutionary drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors. So instead of chemo or radiotherapy, the body's own immune system attacks the cancer. But the drugs that help to do this are only available here at a price,... We're talking serious money, here ` 200,000. Yeah. Really serious money. ...because the drugs are not funded by Pharmac. What price a life? Yeah, well, exactly. Yeah. But not everybody can afford it, can they? I cashed in my, um, KiwiSaver, maxed out my credit cards, um, got some help from my family. So effectively, then, you had to mortgage your life to save your life. Yeah. Through the incredible support of the great friends and the community that we have around us, we have fundraised almost $45,000. But, just in case, Abbey brought forward plans for a wedding. The wedding was kind of thrown together for him, cos we wouldn't have done it that soon. A wise move. The tumours grew from the size of, uh, grapes, when I had` when I had the scan done` the first scan done. Three weeks later, they were about the size of mandarins. Like, he looked horrific. We didn't` We thought we were gonna have to call off the wedding. No time to waste. Grant had emergency surgery on his tumours and then went straight to Sydney for the treatment. A lot of people were saying, 'What's he doing that for?' You know, 'Why doesn't he just stay at home and enjoy the last few weeks with his family?' But Abbey and Isaac came with me and we flew over there and they said, 'Come back in a week and we'll start you on the drugs.' The transformation was dramatic. Like, he was so pale and so gaunt for so long. It was, like, all of a sudden you could see colour in his face again. It was literally, like, knocking on death's door to perfectly fine. So, just before Christmas last year, Abbey and her partner married. It was the best day. Everyone that we loved was there. Beautiful day. Got to dance all night with Dad and everybody, and it was just a really fun party. By the time the wedding came around I was feeling good. I'd only had one dose of treatment at that point. Successful already, it seemed, but not cheap. Grant and his family had scraped together the $100,000 to get him on phase one of the treatment. We looked at your scan and we're confident that you're continuing to benefit from the treatment. 10 months on and scans show that all but one of the tumours have vanished. You're in good nick. One of the tumours is still there, but it's dramatically shrunk and possibly is inactive. We're happy that the pembrolizumab continues to work. Pembrolizumab is the drug he's on now, and it's delivered a king-hit against his melanoma. It's great. You can't beat being alive, can you? (CHUCKLES) Oncologist Dr Rosalie Fisher is a trustee for Melanoma NZ. Have you ever seen that before? Have I seen a drug restore someone to complete health from melanoma? Very rarely. Without this drug, where do you think Grant would have been? He would've been dead months ago. Pembrolizumab's given me nine months, at least, since Christmas. I would've been dead last Christmas time, probably, you know ` if I made it that long. Grant and family can celebrate his life and his luck at getting on phase two of the treatment for free. He's one of the last patients to access the drug company's compassionate programme. For Kiwis following him, the story is very different. That's why I'm doing this ` because I want the government to fund pembrolizumab, you know, like they do in Australia and like they do in England. To give people a chance. Up next ` who's missing out on the lifeline? I'm not ready to die. No, I` I'm hoping I've got another 30 years in me, at least. And the dilemma for doctors. How desperate is the need for these drugs in NZ? Oh, it's very desperate. Patients are desperate and so are their oncologists. 1 INDICATOR CLICKS (GASPS) NO AUDIO (EXHALES HEAVILY) (EXHALES HEAVILY) (PANTS) GRAVEL CRUNCHES GRAVEL CRUNCHES Mate, I'm so sorry. I thought there was time. You just pulled out. I don't have time to stop. Oh, come on, mate. It was a simple mistake. I know if I was going a bit slower, but` I know if I was going a bit slower, but` GRAVEL CRUNCHES Please. I've got my boy in the back. I'm going too fast. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. (SIGHS) OMINOUS RUMBLING Beep, beep! Get the soldiers out there. Get the horses out of the way... For Cheryl Judd, life is bittersweet. I'm not ready to die. No, I` I'm hoping I've got another 30 years in me, at least. And I, you know` I've got lots to do. Like playing with her youngest grandchild, 3-year-old Olive,.... (SQUEALS) There's something in the way. ...one of eight grandkids from Cheryl's own five children. It's a special time because 59-year-old Cheryl's been told she has only months to live. I have melanoma which has metastasised to my brain, and I have, uh, a spot in my lung and some spots in my groin, so I've been given a diagnosis of it being terminal. One. Yeah. Two. Mm-hm. The last verdict I got was that I would have probably, without treatment, seven to 12 months. And that was already three months ago. Car park` The car park's full. But with the melanoma drug pembrolizumab, Cheryl could well be around Olive a lot longer. International trials show as many as 80% of patients benefit. I want a chance to live longer. I definitely want that chance, like everybody. I'm not ready to die yet. Cheryl's problem ` the cost. For Aussies it's now free. Here, where it's not funded by Pharmac, Cheryl needs $200,000 ` too expensive for her. If pembrolizumab was funded here, would you immediately start on it? Absolutely. So, Cheryl is in a similar situation to Grant. She also has metastatic melanoma, which has spread to involve the brain, uh, and` and the lungs. So she's in just as a dangerous position as Grant was perhaps a year ago. But unlike Grant Looker, Cheryl couldn't get on the drug company's compassionate programme for pembrolizumab. We're talking 300 a year who die? That's right. And are you saying 80% of those 300 people could live` That's right. ...if we spent the money on these drugs? That's right. And we're not. No. Not yet. Ultimately, the decision to fund new drugs lies within the portfolio of the health minister. So if pembrolizumab is such a lifesaver, why is NZ lagging behind Britain and Australia in funding it? Well, this seems to be a subject that nobody in Wellington really wants to discuss on camera. First of all, we went to the minister, and the minister referred us to Pharmac. Pharmac said it usually waits for Medsafe approval, and that only came in September. So, then, what about Medsafe? Medsafe says it assessed the drug in four and a half months, considerably quicker than usual. There is a necessary process, and that of course takes time. But the other really important message which I think Pharmac is receiving is that` that there really isn't anything else. And while Pharmac now deliberates, patients die. Have you had to watch them die? Yes. How desperate would you say is the need for these drugs in NZ? Oh, it's very desperate. Patients are desperate, and so are their oncologists. Patients like Cheryl. For most patients with metastatic melanoma, the life` their life expectancy is less than a year, and I've told Cheryl that` that unfortunately I don't see her as being any different to that. And if she took pembrolizumab? In the best-case scenario, I could say that Cheryl's life expectancy is extended by years. How frustrating for you is it to tell her that you can't help her unless she can come up with $200,000? I find it a very difficult position, as a doctor. Um, we like to help ` that's what we're trained to do. Um, I want to help her with these drugs, and yet` yet I can't. Dr Fisher's only suggestion to patients that can is to move to Australia. Again, my advice has been unequivocal ` get to Australia and potentially save your life. And where does that leave people like you? > Crossing our fingers, hoping that it ca` that we make it until it becomes funded. Cheryl's struggling ` at home a lot despite being a midwife with 16 years' experience and a will still to work. The downside is not being able to drive. That's probably been the hardest thing. While I live in this beautiful place, I` I'm a wee bit trapped, really. I` I would love to go back to my job. I love my job. But Grant, with his free pembrolizumab treatments, is happily productive. Well, um, I'm a nurse. I've got 35 years' nursing experience. I've got a staff of about 150. So, I'm back at work, you know, contributing to the organisation` to the health service. And if it wasn't for this drug, where would you be? I'd have been pushing up daisies, well and truly. Do you have a message for Pharmac? Um, yes. Take a very serious look at this drug, pembrolizumab, and soon. Um, this is the drug that we want to put patients on. We think it's the best that's` that's out there. What would your message be to them? Fund it. (CHUCKLES) You know, there's nothing in between. Pharmac says it can't say how long it will take to make a decision on funding for this breakthrough drug. However, it says it's moving quickly to assess the costs and benefits of the treatment, the availability of other treatments, and its affordability. Well, next, what exactly happens to the human body when it's struck by lightning? THUNDER CLAPS What happens is you have a current driven through your body and across the surface of your skin. What are the odds of a person being struck by lightning? Welcome back. Melvin Roberts has a collection of broken watches, all showing the exact times he was struck by lightning. Melvin claims he's been struck by lightning an incredible 11 times. Despite Melvin's medical records, scientists are sceptical at the odds of such bad luck, but then there's a lot they still don't understand about this astonishingly powerful natural phenomenon. Here's Denham Hitchcock. THUNDER RUMBLES What happens to the human body when it's struck by lightning? What happens is you have a current driven through your body and across the surface of your skin. Nerves can be damaged, just cos the current flows through the nerves, and the heart can be stopped. You can see where the lightning went in ` in the arm ` and you can see where it went out. What are the odds of a person being struck by lighting? It's about one out of every 10 million people is killed. We've spoken to a man, Melvin Roberts, who says he's been struck 11 times. Just how unlucky is Melvin? > Melvin's very unlucky. (CHUCKLES) Melvin, when did you know that you were special? Special? (LAUGHS) Now, um` Quickly figure it out. Now they're` you're wasting tape. I don't` I don't` I don't feel special. I feel... What happens when a storm comes and you're together? I gotta go into the other room because somebody has to call 911. Melvin's wife, Martha, has had to do that a lot. South Carolina is in the top five American states for lightning strikes, but you don't need to tell Melvin that. Considering the history of your husband here, is this a good idea for us to do the interview inside? Sure. (LAUGHS) If we hear thunder, I'll move. He's been struck or shocked while driving a bulldozer, while mowing the lawn ` twice ` even while standing on the front porch. What is it like to be struck by lightning? Huge electrical shock. Tastes like sulphur. Yeah. Like burnt matches. Yeah. Everything? Everything. Over the years, Melvin has become a regular at the hospital, and he has the reports to prove it. Each time, doctors have examined his injuries and found them consistent with those of a lightning strike victim, from multiple exit wounds to trouble with memory and speech. He's had X-rays and CT scans, all the way to his 11th strike. 11 times is off the charts. Is there something physical about him? I don't know. The doctors don't know. It's hard to watch. It's hard to live with too, but him... Wake up. I wasn't asleep. I wouldn't sleep. Melvin has a box of broken watches that tell the exact time of every strike. He says he's been hit during storms, on cloudy days, even standing in bright sunshine. Why is it, do you think, you've been hit so many times? You all right? I am hurtin' a little bit. Just waitin'. Way I roll. You said you've spoken to God a couple of times. Is he trying to tell you something with all these lightning strikes? All right, guys. What's happening, y'all? Ready for your photo? Yeah. Yeah, ready to go. In the past, Melvin and Martha went for regular bush walks, but these days Melvin stays in the car. When thunder roars, head indoors. And` I know. ...you can't hear it, but get in the car. I will. See you in a little while. Keep watching the sky, Melvin. I'll be down here with tears in my eyes. See ya. Bye, Melvin. > What are the odds of being struck 11 times? Well, I think directly being struck 11 times is impossible. Melvin, we've spoken to lightning experts who say it's just almost impossible for someone to be hit so many times. The odds are huge. > I've lived through it again and again and again for 12 years, so I'm a believer now. Well, you've seen it with your own eyes. > I've seen it, yeah. A lot of people don't believe it, because it is impossible to conceive that somebody has been struck and gone through the physical trauma and lived. But despite this, the Guinness Book of Records told Martha they did not have enough evidence to put Melvin into the history books. Seems so unfair. Well, there are up to a billion volts in each lightning strike ` that's four times hotter than the surface of the sun. No wonder, then, that so many don't survive a bolt from the blue. Well, that is our show for tonight. Join us on Facebook and Twitter ` Sunday TVNZ.