The only privately owned hyperbaric chamber in the province is up for sale.
Deborah Klisowsky and her husband Perry bought the chamber – which allows for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a pressurized environment – in 2000 to facilitate the sessions for their son Keenan, who had severe cerebral palsy.
But Keenan died two years later and while the Klisowskys kept operating the chamber, continuing to run it has proven too emotional, said Klisowsky, who declined to reveal the asking price for the chamber.
“My passion for it has left,” she said. “It’s very emotional, especially when we have children using the chamber. That’s the only reason we’re selling it.”
It’s been up for sale for three years and a sale could be on the horizon. That will leave a number of people in Saskatchewan lacking the option of a hyperbaric chamber that’s available close to home for what are considered “alternative” uses.
“I hate to see it go, because Saskatchewan has so little, but with the right person, it will do wonders,” she said. “Every province needs to have one that’s free-standing, that’s available to use.”
Saskatchewan’s other hyperbaric chamber is at the Moose Jaw Union Hospital, but it’s only available for officially recognized uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. There are 13 uses listed by Health Canada, such as treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, embolisms (air or gas bubbles in the bloodstream) and enhanced healing for certain wounds and burns.
The therapy promotes healing by delivering a high concentration of oxygen through a hood that the patient wears while inside the pressurized chamber.
The therapy has also been used for a number of other conditions – including cerebral palsy, autism and multiple sclerosis – but is considered “alternative” because it’s not scientifically recognized as effective.
It’s only available for those conditions in non-publicly owned hyperbaric chambers.
A Warman family with three autistic children will be sad to see the option disappear, as one boy is just finishing his first round of treatment and showing some signs of improvement.
Lucas Diduck, 71â„2 years old, completed his round of 40 sessions in the hyperbaric chamber in Watrous on Thursday – 40 sessions is considered the minimum in order for the oxygen to cumulatively build up. His mother, BJ, was hesitant to ascribe any changes in his behaviour to the sessions, since they were just finishing up. But she said there have been changes.
“I have noticed, whether this is due to the treatments or not . . . his eye contact has improved. He seems to be listening better to me now,” she said.
Diduck said it was possible Lucas’s improved eye contact could be due to the one-on-one face time they’ve been sharing while she’s accompanied him inside the chamber. After some more time has passed following the completion of the sessions, she’ll have a better idea of their effect.
The Diducks decided to try the therapy sessions for Lucas because he is the most severely affected of their three children – he has a twin sister Lexi and an older brother Levi, who will be nine next week. Lucas is non-verbal and is “always going,” all day long, said BJ. She hoped the hyperbaric oxygen therapy would help with his brain functioning, so he would calm down enough to allow for some teachable moments.
“As yet, I don’t know if it’s been an effective treatment,” she said. “But if it is, it just really sucks that it’s not going to be an option that’s available, here, in the future.”
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