Helen is 11 months old, has cerebral palsy, and is unable to receive the treatment she requires.
Graham Dickson, her father, told Global News, “My concern right now is what kind of long-term effect this will have.”
Doctors informed Dickson they couldn’t give him an accurate diagnosis because they needed to wait for more tests, including an MRI.
But, he claimed, that was canceled when the Saskatchewan Health Authority stated on Sept. 23 that it was suspending and postponing services in order to redirect resources to overburdened critical care units treating COVID-19 patients.
Dickson said Helen is developmentally delayed. Whereas most 11-month-olds are crawling, Helen is only grasping her feet.
She’s also cross-eyed and her reflexes are well behind where they should be, Dickson said. He told Global News doctors said this likely points to some kind of disconnect between her brain and her motor function.
Dickson said one source of solace was Helen’s physiotherapy treatments, which took place once a month.
But he learned on Thursday, during what would be Helen’s last appointment, that rest of the treatments were postponed indefinitely because the SHA is redeploying staff from there as well.
The SHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dickson blames Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
He believes the government may have prevented the rise in COVID-19 cases if stricter public health regulations had been implemented sooner.
Moe declared on Thursday that the province is revamping its response to the pandemic.
“We’re not going to be establishing broad-based restrictions on… over 70% (of the population) that are considered properly vaccinated,” the premier stated when asked why he wasn’t imposing limits on gathering sizes.
That, according to Dickson, is a “absolute fallacy.”
“Those who suffer the most as a result of this inaction are the most vulnerable, such as my daughter.”
Source_ globalnews.ca
