A grieving mother’s response to Mylan’s Ceo
Original letter
Published August 25, 2016
My ANSWER TO THE CEO OF MYLAN! Ceo interview link. (1)
Dear CEO Heather Bresch,
Yes, we first hand know the system is broken! You are part of the system! Meet with grieving mothers! We will explain what is needed!
Let’s talk! You are our life source! Do you understand that responsibility! We deserve reasons why the price increased so quickly! We want legislation to stop it from happening again! Cap on profits, when dealing within your industry.
Special interests (Pay 2 play) must be stopped, and competition doors opened! DO YOU HEAR ME FDA and CONGRESS!
There are children without Epipens right now! I never want to welcome a new parent into our Food Allergy Grief group! My son Joseph Denicola at age 7 passed away from Food allergies on Halloween. The confidence of most parents has been shattered. A great man in my life, who served this country my Uncle said to me, “Time to call your congress person and demand answers why this company can operate with no regard for the lives of children.”
So, I say to you. Look in the mirror and think of the heartbreak. Try to sleep. I know the mothers and fathers have many nights full of tears that you are holding the ONLY LIFE-SAVING TOOL. This has placed really good parents in a very hard place. There is no choice, for some of them. We have schools whom will face students without, our teachers and aids holding responsibility? This is a huge problem. I do not sleep much anymore, in my grief. I hold compassion for all that cannot have this in their grasp whenever it is required, to save a life. My heart aches thinking about it. Each person is a gift, each a soul of love and light. Each designing this world with their beauty and smile. In this community, the love to cherish each other is beyond. The compassion and bond. We cherish all. Each loss is “our” loss, another’s struggle “ours”. We look to help the next in any area that stops safety. We are a very powerful parenting community, we stand together. You will always hear, “what can I do, how can I help” here.
The grief that came over me, I can not place in words. Your first priority should be safety. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes proactively. We now have more parents having to face really hard decisions. Many turning to homeschooling, single parents are lost. The outward calls for help numerous, but answers are not coming back quick enough. If I had a quarter of your salary, I would be handing it to each that require such help. This needs to be fixed before school starts! We have outreach all over. I thank the many Senators, but most are still on vacation! I will be visiting my congressmen personally. I will keep knocking until someone answers!
Healthcare is not affordable! Competitors are needed, as we see in the #epigate. Same with Healthcare, competition is good for the economy. RIGHT! Over 15 million households are seeing why competition is good right now. They are feeling the effects of when one holds all. By the way, we are looking into that. This monopoly game must end. Our community has done better change for all, I see we are not done. This is not only about Food allergies, we hold change for all . Compassion has made schools healthier, holiday parties less junk food and more socially active. We cherish life! Our greatest teachers are our own children! Parents have now been taught how special interest /monopoly affects us all, thanks to Mylan.
I am a grieving mother, who has faced each day forward looking at this world not the same! I have researched beyond for answers, why I can not hold my precious son, kiss or buy school supplies. Do you know how much others might see as burdens, those are wishes for me! Took me over 2 years to go into a store without falling to my knees, by looking at a label.
So, to parents I say “you have hope still, you have our children still, and use every avenue to keep them safe! Your first priority!” I told many whom have come to me I will speak out for them. We ALL see Political influence? Why? It has shown clearly! I am sure your lobbists have one on one time paid for by your donations. A congressman for a dad, that purchased your education, and set up your career, by those special interests and I am sure will attempt to keep you out of jail.
We are the parents that have children without the same “privilege” awarded to you. We have been calling for answers for many years, trust me its documented. Millions asking for help. Not just now. Double standard are beyond noticed. I am sure dad will pay to get you out of jail free, as others are being held to doing the same increasing of life-saving drugs, might face jail. We do hope justice takes place.
A powerful woman does not use power for greed, in my world, but for good change! That goes across all industries! If you did not have such allowance or room to create this monolpoly. I would not be discussing this at all .
Since we are still at the hands of the only life-saving drug for 15 million people and facing a time of monopoly with out competition at this time, we still need you, Mylan. We need to work together to clear this, that means a statement quickly that the “cost” will go down. We are not looking to placing you out of business, but tighten the pressure for quick reduction! Refunds ! Too. Just like it went up! Stop your efforts to monopolize the market. Competition deserve doors to opened.
So we demand reform by profit caps and transparency!!!! We know political parties influenced, a.k.a lobbying. As an advocate, never attempt to reduce our hard work. We have miracle workers, doctors, nurses, great research companies are being strangled by regulations! That you do not have to follow but seem to have created to monopolize? Why? Those doors need to be opened. When regulations are being manipulated, and trust me, we are following the money! We are everywhere! YES, the system and trust are broken.
Lastly, how about an apology! How about interactions with the food allergy community, before not after!
Your resignation, will still not stop price adjustments. We have to stop the source of the problem that allows special interests to monopolize. We still should demand the stock holders to stand to stop such overpayment to your executives and the greed that surrounds your intent.
As a CEO we expect a better statement! You have children too? So does your father! You would do anything to help them to stay alive, right! Start there! $18 million reasons you gave yourself, to stand by the product, with only compassion for all! Right! Not a coupon! Bottom line price reduction is needed!
Have you ever witnessed a child having a life threatening reaction, called anaphylaxis? Have you watched your child’s last breath be taken away because you could not afford the medication? I would never want that to take place to anyone, that is why I am writing to you. Let’s get life-saving drugs readily available to all. Stop pointing the finger, look in the mirror.
Meet our Joseph. Joseph did not get the epi in enough time, was placed on asthma medication prior to receiving his epi, that a mistake I voice to helping the next.
Read his story. I fight each day to telling people they MUST have available the only drug that would have saved my son and to use it as soon as possible.
Joseph a child whom stopped in the middle of a school show on stage to help a girl who was crying! A heart so pure, that at the end his spirit made the gift of life for another! The importance that you hold to so many lives, should hold that same spirit! We gave alot more then 700k epi pens in our family, parents need the same compassion! Greed, must end, lives are to be first! I apologize for my tone, but I am in pain. A pain that will be with me for the rest of my life, a pain that I would never wish on you. Please see photos attached.. to see his love.
Julianne DeNicola
Joseph’s mom
Love you son! Love and Blessings to you all!
UPDATE 9/7/2021 : ” Heather Bresch, Joe Manchin’s daughter, played direct part in EPIPEN Price inflation scandal”
Great investigative work:
archive : https://archive.ph/JebqG#selection-499.0-503.114
Article https://theintercept.com/2021/09/07/joe-manchin-epipen-price-heather-bresch/
I have archieved this story for the community. The more you know as advocates, helps the community. https://archive.ph/JebqG#selection-499.0-503.114
Feel free to Contact me anyone that can help! lilycrone973@gmail.com
I am a constituent of WI, my name is Julianne DeNicola. I had been a constituent of NY for 43 years prior.
I am grieving mother of Joseph DeNicola, I still have a voice. I am concerned for all children who can face the same as Joseph. I do not want it to happen. I felt I had to raise this concern by the pain of my grief, personally, since I see this more seriously than others might who have not experienced where I stand today. No child should be left “without a quick acting device”. I apologize for its length, but it is needed. I am disabled so I apologize in advance for grammar or typos , tone but writting this triggered me beyond and I am still doing more than this woman, who does not know the pain I live, and I still would not wish it on anyone. Lets not play games with lives. Stop the greed. Society is a whole, it takes a village to keep one child safe, and they depend us as responsible adults.
Our Angels are guiding us to protection for all.
All information can be found on the following links that I used to gather this blog post. I will print the links below for your education and for historical purposes as sourced data.
public links in this blog
1-http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/25/mylan-expands-epipen-cost-cutting-programs-after-charges-of-price-gouging.html
2-https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00332395
3-http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/26/senators-probing-epipen-price-hike-received-donations-from-mylan-pac.html
4-http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/13/science/13drug.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
In Loving Memory of Joseph DeNicola 