B.C. man learns life-changing surgery delayed again while headed for hospital
A family in B.C.'s Comox Valley is devastated to be thrust back into limbo while waiting for a life-changing surgery.
They had made the trip to the Lower Mainland a day in advance and were on their way to the hospital when they found out the operation would be cancelled.
“I thought it was a joke at first,” says patient Ethan Baldwin. “Then it was real and it wasn’t a joke and so yeah, I accepted it. And let’s be honest, it was sh*t.”
The 19-year-old Courtenay man was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis as a child and became a candidate for spinal surgery when the curvature of his spine reached 50 degrees. If he were to do nothing, he says his spine would continue to rotate and could eventually puncture a lung.
The teen’s family says they've been waiting for seven years for him to get a corrective surgery, which has been complicated by delays borne out of the pandemic, along with another cancellation last year, too.
“It’s just deflating,” says Jennifer Lavoie, Ethan's mom. “I just feel like … the rug was out from under me again.”
BC Children’s Hospital’s chief surgeon can’t speak to the specifics of the patient's case.
“Any delay in care is something that everyone at BC Children’s Hospital feels deeply and takes seriously,” says Dr. Erik Skarsgard in a statement.
“The clinical decision-making to prioritize patients awaiting life-changing surgery is not taken lightly by leadership and has significant oversight by surgical specialists who carefully assess the evolving needs of patients, including their emotional well-being.”
The physician adds spinal surgeries are complex and can require more post-surgical care. Skarsgard says the team hopes to reschedule Ethan early in the new year.
B.C.’s health minister said on Wednesday he would look into the circumstances involving the delay.
“In the case of surgeries, we have a surgical renewal commitment, we’re doing a breathtaking number of surgeries this October, November and December in the midst of a very significant demand to healthcare. So we have increased dramatically, particularly in orthopedic surgeries and surgeries such as spinal surgeries,” says Adrian Dix.
An accountability group, BC Health Care Matters, says the Baldwin family deserves better.
“I’m really concerned as well when these kinds of very life-altering surgeries, which is what this is, are considered elective surgeries because the concern is that too often that’s used as an acceptable excuse for delays like this,” says founder Camille Currie.
Ethan’s mom says the cancellation fails to consider the expenses a family goes through to travel for such an operation. It’s grateful to have been supported by a charity for some of the costs but figures it’s out of pocket $8,000 when the parents factor in missed work, dog sitters and other expenses.
A GoFundMe is active to support the family as it hopes the next booking for Ethan’s surgery goes through.
“If I had to say what I was most frustrated about is the lack of consideration for the out of town people coming to the mainland,” says Lavoie. “It’s not just a waitlist. Their actions have consequences.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Baby and grandparents killed in wrong-way crash involving police on Ontario's Highway 401
An infant and the child's grandparents – aged 55 and 60 – were all killed when a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Whitby, Ont. caused a crash involving at least six vehicles, the Special Investigations Unit says. The driver of the suspect vehicle also died.
Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
T. rex is at the centre of a debate over dinosaur intelligence
Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
This is how many dentists have actually signed up for Canada's new free dental program
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb early Tuesday, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring four others, authorities said.