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
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Truck driver accused of intentionally killing Utah officer had been holding a woman against her will
A truck driver accused of intentionally killing a police officer during a traffic stop on a Utah highway had been holding a woman against her will inside the cab of his truck, new court documents reveal.