Our young son with cancer needs the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

No parent should be denied the expert advice needed to make informed medical decisions

In October 2021, our beautiful 2-year-old son Sebastián was diagnosed with Stage IV Myoepithelial Carcinoma (MEC), an ultrarare and aggressive cancer that has no proven treatment. On admission to University of New Mexico Hospital, we were told that his prognosis was poor and that he would need to start chemotherapy immediately.

Nobody at UNMH had ever seen a patient with MEC, much less treated this rare disease. We were being asked to make what felt like impossible medical decisions: What chemo drugs should be used? Should we amputate his hand? Should we try an experimental drug with potential long-term side effects?

Desperate to talk to someone who had experience with this cancer, we did what any parent would do: We frantically contacted doctors who could provide second opinions from the leading cancer centers and hospitals across the country. Then, we ran into a roadblock that seemed unfathomable.

Many out-of-state physicians were willing to give us second opinions if we traveled to their facility. Because our son was on chemo and severely immunocompromised, our oncologist recommended we avoid crowds and airports, so travel wasn’t an option. They were willing to speak with us via video conference, but, when they learned we were in New Mexico, they told us they would not be able to do so. One oncologist in Pennsylvania, who also had a medical license in Texas, would speak with us if we were in Texas. So we have driven to El Paso twice to speak with him over Zoom.

As it turns out, New Mexico is one of just 13 states that is not a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), an agreement that allows participating states to work together to increase access to specialist physicians and expand the use of telemedicine, especially for those in rural communities.

Imagine, being desperate parents, unable to take our son on an airplane to get a second opinion in person because of his immunocompromised state, and then also being unable to even speak to these oncologists with real expertise over Zoom without traveling to another state.

This year, we have an opportunity to fix this fixable problem by passing legislation that would have New Mexico join 39 other states in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. We are so thankful to state Rep. Marian Matthews, and her co-sponsors, Reps. Liz Thomson and Gail Armstrong, and state Sen. Bill O’Neill, for sponsoring HB 247 and SB 67, respectively. These bipartisan bills have the potential to improve access to medical care for so many New Mexican families who need specialized care or expert advice that may not be available where they live and do not have the means or ability to travel to see a provider.

While New Mexico is working hard to attract and retain more doctors in our state, the reality is that second opinions from expert physicians outside our state’s borders are essential for so many New Mexicans suffering from complex or rare diseases.

One year after his cancer diagnosis, 10 rounds of chemotherapy and six surgeries, Sebastián is still fighting. We are beside him fighting, too. No parent should have to hear the words, “your child has cancer.” And no parent should be denied the expert advice needed to make informed medical decisions about their child’s health.

Naomi Natale and Michael Casaus are parents to Sebastián and his brother, Santiago. They co-founded the nonprofit, cureMEC.org, whose mission is to raise funds to support research and education to find new treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Myoepithelial Carcinoma. To learn more about Sebastián’s cancer journey, visit cureMEC.org