A Vancouver Island family travelled to Vancouver this week to perform surgery on a member of their home, however, just two hours before the scheduled start of the operation, a nightmare struck — the operation was cancelled.
Ethan Baldwin, who is about to turn 20, has spent the last seven years waiting for an operation to correct his spine problems. Due to age, the pandemic, and lengthy procedures, the waiting time for surgery has become complicated and lengthy.
What would have been a delight for the family was that they were notified that the surgery would take place this week.
So, the Baldwin family celebrated Christmas early, put down work and booked accommodation in Vancouver. However, two hours before the scheduled start of the surgery, families received a phone call informing them that the surgery had been cancelled due to a lack of intensive care beds.
Baldwin's mother, Jennifer Lavoie, told Global News that the family decided to try surgery in 2016 and was told the wait would be about 18 months. However, due to various reasons, the waiting time was extended to seven years.
The surgery was seen as a do-don and a must-do, but Lavoie stressed that it was a must-do for his son.
Lavoie说道。
"If he had done it when he was younger, it would have been a day-long operation, pushed it in, and then it was done quickly, and now we have a two-day operation, and the more it drags on, the more there is a risk of paralysis. ”
Baldwin's condition left him unable to sit for long periods of time, learn to drive, or participate in certain activities with friends. Lavoie said the surgery is now divided into two days, divided into two procedures, each lasting six hours, with an intensive care unit in between.
In the midst of two successive cancellations, this one was even more frustrating for the family. In December, they booked ferries, took time off and lost weeks of wages, only to have the surgery canceled three days before the scheduled start of the operation.
This time, Lavoie said that they were preparing for their son's surgery when they were only 30 minutes away from leaving the hospital when they received the news that the operation had been cancelled.
"This is a huge inconvenience for those of us who are out of town. They didn't realize that we were going to take half of our belongings and be ready to be on standby at the hospital the night beforehand. This takes a huge toll on us financially, emotionally, and physically, far beyond the minor inconvenience of waiting in line. ”
Lavoie was emotionally charged with the cancellation of the surgery, "It was like being able to almost reach out and then be told again that it was not up to me." It was very tough for my son, who felt like the whole system had forgotten about him for more than seven years. ”
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he would personally investigate the matter, although he had not heard of Baldwin's case. He explained that the Ministry of Health has been taking measures to ensure that surgeries are not affected by delays or cancellations. He also added that the Ministry of Health has been actively performing surgeries in areas such as orthopedic and spine surgery.
Lavoie acknowledges the difficulties of working in the health care sector, but stresses the need for measures. "I've spent thousands of dollars for two years in a row to fit it all in. I was feeling financially stressed, to the point where I had nothing. It's a Christmas for me that isn't happy anymore. ”
Worst of all, however, her son has become numb to the whole process.
"My son was so numb to it that he didn't even want to talk to me about it, because what's the point? He said it didn't make sense. He even now feels that he can't make a wish on something because the wish will never come true. ”