LETTER: Rep. Godshall's Support Of Right to Try Legislation Is 'Essence of Democracy'

The following letter to the editor was submitted to the Lansdale Patch by Harleysville resident Matt Helfrich. To submit a letter to the editor, please email justin.heinze@patch.com.

Over the past few years, I've been concerned that so many Americans blindly believe that Government is corrupt and all it's representatives and civil servants are part of the proverbial "swamp." I see our Government in a much more positive light. I have always received support, assistance, and attention from State Senators, State Representatives and members of Congress. Their willingness to listen to me and to other constituents about important issues highlights the representative democracy that we are fortunate to live in.

As a cancer advocate, I've received the highest level of support from my representatives resulting in the passage of oral chemo parity laws in Pennsylvania and the 21st Century Cures Act for the entire country in 2016. Health care advocates in Pennsylvania are currently encouraging the State legislature to pass the Right to Try bill, House Bill 45, introduced and sponsored by Representative Bob Godshall. This bill, if passed, would give terminally ill patients hope by allowing them to participate in trials and treatments currently under review by the FDA. I witnessed personally how Right to Try helped my mother live over 11 happy years of life after receiving a poor cancer prognosis in 1998. In order to support Right to Try, advocates have been reaching out to Pennsylvania legislators asking them to support this bill. We've also written letters to the editor at various newspapers across the State to make the public aware of this issue.

My faith in Government was substantiated when I received a call from Representative Bob Godshall, the primary sponsor of the Right to Try Bill, on President's Day. (Yes, he was working on his day off) He shared his personal experience on how clinical trials, "exploratory" treatments and new surgical options - not fully approved by the FDA at the time - saved him from a dangerous form of cancer that doctors believed was a death sentence. His amazing story of courage, persistence, innovation, and faith was his impetus to introducing and sponsoring a bill in Pennsylvania to enact Right to Try rules.

As most people know, Representative Godshall is an outstanding man who consistently and faithfully served his constituents for nearly 30 years. On the other hand, I'm a "rookie" advocate whose name would be tough to find on the Internet and my recurring op-ed's are rarely read or viewed by anyone. Despite this, Representative Godshall decided to call me and ask for my help to push his bill through the Senate. I was honored to receive his call and more than happy to help him with a bill that means so much to both of us personally.

Representative Godshall's willingness to reach out to me to support his bill is the essence of democracy. It's an example of engaged citizens working collaboratively with their representatives in the legislature to write and pass bills that benefit all of us. Our Founding Fathers would be nodding their head in approval, or at least fist-pumping each other, at this display of democracy in action.

-Matt Helfrich

Harleysville, PA

Image via Rep. Godshall's office