Sask. to reimburse family who left province for $1M life-saving procedure
A family who went to the United States to seek a bone-marrow transplant for their son will be reimbursed by the Government of Saskatchewan.
According to the family of Conner Finn, Minister of Health Paul Merriman met with them on Monday to inform them of the news. Merriman ordered a review of the case on Nov. 15.
In June 2020, Conner Finn, 5, was diagnosed with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare and sometimes fatal disease that attacks the membrane which insulates nerve cells in the brain.
The window of opportunity to treat the disease, which affects one in 18,000 people, was a narrow one and Saskatchewan did not offer the procedure that was Conner's best hope — a blood stem cell transplant.
According to Conner’s mother Kirsten Finn, after being denied coverage by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, the family appealed that decision to the Health Services Review Committee, which recommended the province cover the cost of the procedure. She said the office of the health minister overrode the recommendation.
Due to the urgent need for the procedure, the Saskatchewan Health Authority recommended the procedure be done by the ALD Center of Excellence in Minnesota.
The procedure came with a hefty price tag, around $1 million. According to Kristen, the Ministry of Health has agreed to cover “pretty much all of the expenses.”
Merriman said the Ministry of Health will be considering ways to improve its process for such cases in the future. He said a rare disease strategy is being developed to help guide care for similar cases in the future.
Kristen told media on Nov. 15 that Merriman refused on several occasions to speak with Dr. Troy Lund, the Minnesota specialist who provided Conner’s care. Lund wanted to speak with Merriman to highlight the urgency of Conner’s case.
Kristen said she believes having Merriman speak with Dr. Lund was the turning point in the review.
“It was unclear what they were basing their decision on in previous discussions,” she told CTV News. “When your child has a rare disease like ALD I think it's important for there to be consultations with people with significant experience treating the disease.”
She said the Finn family is very encouraged by the province's commitment to forming the Rare Disease Strategy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey
Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.