Ont. mother fights for special exemption for toddler in ICU with RSV
A Cookstown, Ont. mother is fighting for a special exemption for her toddler to receive an antibody treatment for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, after being denied by the Ministry of Health.
"They said he doesn't qualify. He doesn't meet the qualifications, and we (the ministry) are not convinced if he got RSV it would be a major life event requiring hospitalization," said Lauren Dempsey.
Every couple of days, Dempsey trades off with her husband, making the trip south to Toronto's SickKids Hospital, where her three-year-old son George has been fighting RSV, a common respiratory virus, for nearly two weeks. He is now intubated and in the intensive care unit.
"The fear (we have) is, is he going to come off the intubation tube? Are we going to be able to wean him from that? Is there going to be a dependency?" said Dempsey.
In January 2020, RSV landed George in the hospital for two months.
Around that same time, his parents learned he had a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy, which affects every muscle in his body, making it more difficult for him to battle the virus.
"Kids with a neuromuscular can't cough it up in a way that a normal child or an able-body child would be able to," said Dempsey, explaining how RSV impacts her son.
Because of this, George qualified for an antibody treatment to protect him against RSV, which is available primarily to high-risk children under the age of two.
"That's what the studies show the best impact for reducing hospitalization and intensive care for those babies with high risk," said Dr. Vincent Ho, a pediatrician with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie. "The child or baby can still get infected. It's just that it tends to be less severe with this on board."
The monthly treatment was available to George until recently, when he aged-out.
In September, Dempsey applied to the Ministry of Health for special consideration, and attached a letter of support from SickKids that reads in part, "This patient is at high risk of severe RSV disease this winter and prevention strategies such as RSV prophylaxis is incredibly important to his overall lung health."
However, the ministry denied the request and with her son now in hospital, Dempsey is fearful for his future.
"He is in SickKids fighting for his life, intubated from a common cold virus that he could have had some sort of protection from," she said.
With RSV cases on the rise, Dempsey said she would continue to fight for an exemption for her son.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.