When Josh’s teachers at Hugh Mercer Elementary School in Fredericksburg learned of his quest to get a dose of Brincidofovir, they decided to start knocking on doors on Capitol Hill to help him get the medicine.

Denise Phipps, Josh’s first-grade teacher; Andrea Ilardia, a paraprofessional at the school; Christie Stapleton, Josh’s kindergarten teacher; and Kathryn Obert, a first-grade teacher, made the trip Wednesday—but instead of pleading for help, it was a joyful visit.

In a surprise announcement Tuesday night, Chimerix announced that Josh would be able to get the drug, along with 19 other people, as part of a new trial.

The Hugh Mercer group met with both U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D–Va., and U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R–1st, who both tried to help the Hardy family.

Warner sent letters to Chimerix and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Wittman spoke to someone at the Food and Drug Administration, Phipps said.

In the letter to Kenneth Moch, the president and CEO of Chimerix, Warner wrote, “I strongly encourage you to reconsider this position, especially in this particular case. As a former businessman, I understand many of the pressures you face running a company.

“However, I strongly believe that denying a child what very well may be the only potentially lifesaving treatment simply because it might potentially slow the approval process does not seem to be an adequate reason.”

In his letter to the FDA, Warner wrote, “FDA regulations allow individual patient access to investigational drugs for treatment purposes on a case-by-case basis. I strongly urge you to consider what assistance may be available to help Josh and his family through this situation.”

“We went by various offices and expressed our deepest gratitude that they helped Josh,” Phipps said.

The teachers also wanted to see what our representatives could do to prevent other patients from having to endure what Josh and his family did.

Warner said that they are working on that issue, Phipps said.

She said Warner was almost in tears, getting choked up. He was thankful for everyone’s efforts.