‘Please help us’: Mom pleads for B.C. government funding to treat son’s rare illness overseas

A mother from North Vancouver is pleading with the B.C. government for help—as her son requires life-saving treatment in Germany that’s not accessible in Canada

Natasha Hepburn is desperate for answers after her nine-year-old son Nathan was denied B.C. government funding for medical treatment in Germany.

Nathan was diagnosed with brain arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, an extremely rare condition that could lead to lethal brain hemorrhaging.

“If I could change places with him, I would do it in a heartbeat but I cant,” his mother said. “So I’m pleading with the provincial government to please help us.”

After her son underwent years of treatment at SickKids in Toronto and B.C. Children’s Hospital, Hepburn says there is no cure available in North America.

But through research and collaborating with experts overseas, Hepburn found a doctor in Germany who pioneered treatment.

“Nathan is receiving a specialized treatment that has been performed for years by some of the world’s leading experts in Europe. This is not an untested procedure,” she said.

Despite Nathan’s first round in March showing promising results—and letters of support from his Canadian team of doctors—the provincial government did not provide out-of-country medical care funding.

Hepburn said she’s stuck “living with the thought that I could lose my child, and an effective treatment is available.”

The treatment in Germany is called a transvenous embolization, which is not available in North America.

“It leads to a curative outcome because we have the technique and the equipment that we don’t have available here,” she said.

Unfortunately for the family, that treatment costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I’m a single mom. I’m navigating this whole situation on my own, working a full-time job, caring for two boys,” said Hepburn, fighting through tears.

Nathan is now scheduled for a second round of treatment in August and the Opposition is urging the NDP government to reconsider their decision.

‘Innovation in medicine’

Anna Kindy, B.C. Conservative health critic, says the need to seek treatment outside of Canada speaks to the province being behind when it comes to medical care.

“This is innovation in medicine. This is moving forward with new treatment and we need to as British Columbians be able to access some of that especially if it’s life threatening innovation,” she said.

Kindy hopes the Ministry of Health will fund Nathan’s second round of treatment, saving the family high costs.

“The risks of a bleed are extremely high and he could end up with huge neurological impairment which would cost the government lots of money or he could die.”

In a statement to CTV News, the B.C. Ministry of Health said: “While we can’t go into details of this case out of respect for patient privacy and confidentiality, we can confirm that a Stage 2 administrative review is currently underway.”

The review would involve collecting clinical documentation to determine whether Nathan’s case meets the threshold for funding.

“Once the review is complete, the referring specialist and the family will be notified in writing of the decision and next steps,” the statement said.

Hepburn says without the support of the community, she would be lost. She is still hopeful for a solution to every parent’s worst nightmare.

“He sees me and I’m in tears and he’s trying to comfort me,” she said. “He’s like, ‘Mommy it’s OK, don’t cry,’ and he’s laughing.”