Former Ephrata resident's legacy lives on in new law
SPOKANE — Jonathan Van Keulen experienced what many cancer patients have before him; he had a reaction to his cancer drugs and could not use them any more. His wife Becky couldn’t bring herself to throw out all the unused drugs, worth thousands of dollars, so the couple went to Olympia.
This session the state Legislature passed a bill allowing cancer patients to donate their unused cancer drugs for uninsured or underinsured patients.
Former Ephrata residents Becky and Jonathan Van Keulen brought the idea to Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, in the spring of last year.
Jonathan was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in July 2014. Since then, he and Becky created a non-profit organization called Cancer Can’t. The mission of the organization is to improve the lives of cancer patients.
Jonathan, 31, a father of two, passed away April 4, but his legacy lives on with the House Bill 2458 — also named the “Cancer Can’t Charitable Pharmacy Act.”
Throughout the process of creating the bill and getting it passed, Parker said he became close friends with both Becky and Jonathan.
“At the time they were battling a terminal illness,” said Parker. “They had every right to think only of themselves and their family, and instead, which I think is diametrically opposed to society, they are thinking only of other people.”
The bill will allow patients or their representatives to donate their unused drugs if they have been properly stored and are unopened.
“This bill will save lives,” said Parker.
Parker said he will continue to work with Becky and Cancer Can’t to ensure proper implementation of the law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2017.
Cancer Can’t also worked to raise money to update the oncology rooms at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. In less than a year, the organization raised more than $120,000 for the updates, according to the website.
The Van Keulens started the non profit after Jonathan spent more than 70 days in a hospital and came up with many ideas for how to make his and other patients’ stay more comfortable, according to the website.
Jonathan and Becky, high school sweethearts, graduated together from Ephrata High School in 2003, according to his obituary that published in Tuesday’s Columbia Basin Herald. The two married in August 2004 in Ephrata and moved to Pullman to attend Washington State University. The Van Keulens moved to Spokane in 2005 where Jonathan transferred to Eastern Washington University and Becky attended WSU Spokane. Jonathan and Becky have two young sons, according to the obituary.
To find out more Jonathan and Becky and their non-profit organization, visit www.cancercant.com.