Ontario’s health minister has now agreed to hear the case of a toddler who had to go to the U.S. to be treated for his blindness.
Liam Reid, who lives in Whitby, Ontario, was born with persistent fetal vasculature syndrome (PFVS, also known as Norrie’s disease), a rare genetic disease that took away his sight. After a failed operation on his right eye, Toronto doctors said they could no longer provide any help because the disease had advanced too much.
Liam’s parents ended up turning to a specialist in Detroit, but the American hospital visits haven’t been cheap. The Reids have already spent $45,000 to get help for their son – and the Ontario government has refused to pay for anything, despite provisions for out-of-country care if treatment isn’t available at home.
Before Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews agreed Thursday to meet with Liam’s parents, the opposition challenged her, demanding to know why the government wouldn’t step ins.
“Minister, Liam needs your help. You can’t continue to hide behind excuses,” Progressive Conservative MPP Christina Elliott said in the Ontario Legislature.
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“There are no specialists in Ontario to treat this child and the appeals process has been exhausted.”
The province’s refusal has left the Reids frustrated. Kristina Reid, Liam’s mother, said Thursday, “To have a child with special needs is difficult enough. And then to follow the processes, as we should have done, it’s been very difficult when we’ve continuously been coming up against a brick wall. I don’t know – at this point, we’re just hoping the right thing will be done.”
In an interview last week with Global National‘s Christina Stevens, Kristina said the treatment has been very beneficial. “(The American specialist) was able to do surgery on Liam’s left eye. He did restore light perception.”
“This is going to help him out remarkably with his orientation and mobility, just allowing him to maneuver in his world. For him to lose that, would be devastating for us.”
But because Liam’s parents are unable to afford the $5,000 to $15,000 worth of follow-up treatments in the U.S. – and the Ontario government won’t pitch in – Liam’s progress is now in jeopardy.
The Reids say records show the government has financially helped other patients with the same condition as Liam’s. The family has even appealed the decision, but lost.
Liam’s parents have now hired a lawyer in a last attempt to get the help they so desperately need.
Kristina says her family is hoping for a change of heart. “Our options right now are to hope that somebody will have a second look at this, and think ‘You know, this little guy slipped through the cracks. We have to make this right. This is wrong.'”
In a written statement, Dr. Wai-Ching Lam, the Toronto surgeon who initially treated Liam, said that doctors here in Canada “certainly do not have the same amount of expertise” as the U.S. specialist, saying he is “unmatched in his field.”
With files from Global National’s Christina Stevens
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