The health minister sent “hugs and thoughts” to the family of three-year-old Greta Marofke during a Wednesday’s Question Period at the Alberta legislature but stopped short of offering any financial support.
Marofke suffers from recurrent liver cancer and is in need of a liver transplant.
On Friday, the little girl was put on the transplant list at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after being denied the surgery by transplant teams in both Alberta and Ontario.
Because the surgery is not available to Marofke in Canada, her family will have to pay for her medical care out of pocket — a bill that is expected to top $600,000 U.S.
READ MORE: Calgary family to pay $600K for little girl’s liver transplant after Canada’s health system says no
Ric McIver, Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Hays introduced Greta’s mother, Lindsey Marofke, as well as Greta’s grandparents as guests of the legislature Wednesday before questioning Health Minister Sarah Hoffman about the family’s case.
“Greta’s doctor in Cincinnati believes she has a good chance of survival with this transplant, which is not available in Canada,” McIver said. “To the minister of health, do you think it’s OK for her parents and grandparents to risk bankruptcy, and rely on sympathetic Albertans to fundraise for Greta’s transplant?”
Hoffman responded by saying: “Our hugs and thoughts go out to Greta and her family during this incredibly difficult time.
“As I’ve said previously, and in other situations, it’s incredibly important for health professionals to be making these decisions. That’s why there is a committee of physicians, the out-of-country health services committee, which is comprised of physicians that review these specific circumstances.”
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Hoffman went on to say she sympathizes with Greta’s family and would probably do the same thing her parents are doing right now.
“We need to make sure that physicians are the ones driving these decisions and we have the physicians in place to do that.”
The Marofkes have applied to Alberta Health for out-0f-country health funding while they work to raise funds on their own.
So far more than $260,000 has been raised via a Gofundme page.
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