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
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests.
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
Spy watchdog's foreign interference review finds 'unacceptable gaps' in accountability
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating 'unacceptable gaps in accountability,' the national spy watchdog has found.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Man convicted in attack on Pelosi's husband back in court after judge's error
A man who assaulted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in 2022 will have another day in court on Tuesday after the federal judge overseeing the case failed to allow him to speak during his sentencing hearing earlier this month.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
WATCH Airline pilot treated to stunning northern lights show during U.S.-Portugal flight
An airline pilot got quite a show on May 11 while flying from San Francisco to Lisbon when a solar storm caused stunning auroras.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.