MN Woman's $18K Cancer Meds Lost In Mail Mix-Up: Report

EDINA, MN — An Edina woman was forced to ration her $18,000 cancer medication after a U.S. Postal Service worker took the chemotherapy because FedEx put the delivery in her mailbox, according to the Star Tribune.

Laura Helling-Christy, 68, has advanced pancreatic cancer and took half-doses of her medication during the week of Christmas because FedEx left the chemotherapy in her mailbox Dec. 21 and, 30 minutes later, a mail carrier removed it, the Tribune reported.

The package was returned to her specialty pharmacy over a week later, according to the Tribune. Her insurer refused to pay for a replacement of the expensive drug, the newspaper reported, adding nonprofit Roundtable Rx was eventually able to send her the medication, which arrived Dec. 26 for free.

FedEx apologized for the mistake and said it was working with Helling-Christy to prevent a similar situation in the future, according to the Tribune. The postal service told the newspaper that its carrier followed standard procedures, mailboxes are only for postage-paid U.S. Mail and the package with the medication was sent back to FedEx.

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