VICTORIA, B.C.: Dr. Anna Kindy, Conservative Critic for Health, is calling for the B.C. government to provide funding for Nathan Hepburn’s brain treatment.

Nathan Hepburn, a nine-year-old boy from North Vancouver, has been diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his brain, which causes blood vessels in his brain to rupture without warning, risking brain damage or even death. He had a seizure and micro bleeding causing severe headaches.

Nathan exhausted all the treatment options in Canada. With the support of the paediatric neurosurgical teams in B.C. and Toronto, Nathan went to Germany, where a global leader in AVM offered novel treatment for AVM with a high success rate. At the family’s own expense, Nathan completed a first stage of an innovative treatment which successfully treated 1/3 of his AVM malformation. He needs further treatment, but the costs are unaffordable for his family.

Nathan’s paediatric neurosurgical teams have clearly stated that Nathan is at high risk for further bleed causing severe disability or death and have stated clearly that continuing treatment in Germany is the best course of action. That is why they have advocated for this government to reconsider its decision, but the B.C. government has denied funding.

“Treatment in Germany could save Nathan Hepburn’s life, and so it is essential that the B.C. government provide the funding he needs.” said Kindy. “Nathan’s family has worked tirelessly and researched extensively to find the best possible options for him. The Canadian doctors have already done everything they could and the specialist in Germany is confident that he can successfully treat Nathan’s AVM, allowing him to live a complete and healthy life. But if Nathan does not receive the treatment soon, it could be fatal. This is exactly the situation in which an out-of-country health services funding application should be approved, and it is unconscionable that it has not been.”

“Successful innovations in treating diseases exist and this government needs to support life-saving innovations. The reality is under this NDP government, we are not keeping up with innovations in healthcare or treatment of rare diseases.”

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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
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