By writer to calgary.ctvnews.ca
Jenna Ursu is among the 81,600 Albertans on the province’s wait listing for surgical procedure and her household says it could now be too late for her to obtain the kidney transplant that would save her life.
Her husband Kyle Ursu says Jenna was recognized with stage 5 kidney failure a 12 months in the past and her well being has declined quickly within the months since. The 30-year-old is a mom of two younger kids.
“We’ve movies of her dancing across the Christmas tree this time final 12 months, and now she’s in a hospital as we communicate, preventing for her life due to delays because of the pandemic,” Kyle mentioned Thursday.
Her well being spiralled downwards so rapidly, Kyle says, that by the point she accomplished coaching to manage dialysis at residence, she was too sick to take action.
The seek for an acceptable kidney donor for Jenna did not have to department out very far — Jenna’s sister turned out to be an acceptable candidate.
“As soon as I used to be recognized because the donor, we went by means of a collection of exams and so they let me know I used to be a six out of six match,” mentioned Whitney James, Jenna’s sister.
“I used to be authorised by the psychiatrist again in October and we’re simply ready for a surgical procedure date. And that is been an ongoing battle with COVID.”
Kyle Ursu (left) and Whitney James (proper), Jenna’s sister, say James is a match, however the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the surgical procedure from going forward.
ALBERTA’S WAIT LIST GROWS
They have not been capable of get a date for surgical procedure, and so they’re not alone.
In response to a report by the Canadian Institute for Well being Data, Alberta hospitals carried out a median of two,800 fewer surgical procedures every month for the primary 16 months of the pandemic.
That does not seize the 1000’s of procedures that have been delayed or cancelled through the fourth wave of the pandemic, when Alberta’s well being care system was overwhelmed by COVID-19.
The province’s heath minister mentioned Tuesday that the wait listing for surgical procedures ballooned from about 68,000 folks in August to greater than 81,600 folks this month.
“Postponements are a significant concern, and my coronary heart goes out to all Albertans and their households who had their surgical procedures postponed. They add to the burden on sufferers and households and so they imply extra individuals are ready for scheduled surgical procedures,” Well being Minister Jason Copping mentioned.
“We’re watching the ready listing intently.”
The province hopes to deliver the wait listing right down to about 68,000 folks by mid-2022.
WAIT MAY BE TOO LONG: FAMILY
Jenna’s household worries the delay she’s needed to face already could make it in order that she will be able to not get the kidney transplant she desperately wants.
“My spouse’s well being has mainly gotten to the purpose the place she will not survive a kidney transplant due to the delay as a consequence of COVID,” mentioned Kyle.
“It’s extremely arduous. I really feel just like the well being care system has let my household down and I simply have zero religion in it. I really feel like we have been put to the again burner over and time and again,” he mentioned.
The household’s outlook is now measured in weeks, not months, Kyle says. They hope Jenna is effectively sufficient to make it by means of Christmas and into the New 12 months.
A GoFundMe has been began to try to assist cowl among the medical and childcare prices for Jenna and her household.
— to calgary.ctvnews.ca
