Cured of Cancer—and Now Advocating for Others’ Right to Try

“A little soreness is just a symptom of a dual sport athlete.”

That was the thought that Diego Morris and his family had when the 11-year-old woke up with pain in his left leg and back in 2012. When the doctors diagnosed him, Diego’s family realized it was much worse.

Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, had spread throughout the boy’s leg, leaving his mother and father terrified.

“My world turned upside down. I couldn’t believe my little boy had cancer,” says Paulina Vazquez-Morris, Diego’s mother. “For two days, I woke up thinking it had all been a nightmare, and I was relieved. Then reality set in, and I knew I had to be strong for my sons.” Jason, Diego’s father, shared similar feelings. “All of the possible scenarios go through your head, and you realize you must do whatever is necessary to save his life.”

The drug Diego needed, Mifamurtide (MTP-PE or MEPACT), wasn’t available in the United States, but it had been approved for use overseas in England. Right to Try—Goldwater Institute legislation that allows terminally-ill patients to access investigational treatments not yet approved by the FDA—was not yet the law of the land, meaning the Morris family couldn’t get Diego the medicine he desperately needed at home. So, they wasted no time and made the move abroad to try to save their young son’s life.

“I did not want to move to another country. I didn’t want to leave my friends or my home,” Diego said. For nearly a year, the Morris family lived in London as Diego underwent treatment. To support the family, Jason traveled between his work in Phoenix and the lifesaving work he was undertaking for his son abroad.

Over time, his treatments took hold, and Diego’s cancer regressed. The Morris family then returned to Phoenix so Diego could start chemotherapy.

Fast forward to today, and Diego is 24 years old, a second-year law student at Arizona State University, and cancer-free. He has been a powerful advocate for the first Right to Try law, advocating for its passage across the country and federally in 2018. Now, he’s speaking out in favor of the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments, a Goldwater law enacted in 16 states that allows terminally-ill patients to access treatments designed just for them based on the unique genetics.

“This new version of Right to Try is an extension of the hope that Right to Try initially gave to families like mine throughout the country, and to even have medication that’s specifically tailored to them,” Diego said. “That’s a miracle and a blessing, and the law should match the medical advancements that we continue to make in this country.”

The Morris family went to great lengths to receive Diego’s lifesaving medicine. They know that few families will ever get the opportunity to do the same. With Right to Try they hope to change that.

“Nothing should stand between a terminal patient and a potentially lifesaving treatment,” Jason, says. “The alternative is to accept the unacceptable.”