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A Saskatoon family is frustrated they will not be receiving funding to go to the United States to receive treatment for their son’s rare illness.
Four-year-old Kayden Kot has been diagnosed with severe protein and food allergies; he can only eat through a tube inserted into his stomach.
According to the GoFundMe page set up by the family, Kot started his treatment at the STAR Center in Denver, the Anat Baniel Method facility in California and by a pediatric neurologist and nutrition/dietician specialist in NYC.
Initially there was no treatment for Kot in the province, but the family has been able to access some care from the Saskatoon Health Region.
“Since July they are very accommodating and we are trying to exhaust all of their services,” said mom, Sylvie Fortier-Kot.
According to Fortier-Kot, they have reached a critical juncture in the care of their son and need to return to the STAR Centre to receive intensive treatment. They are financially depleted after three-and-a-half-years and 12 medical trips, she said.
After the government rejected their funding request, the family filed an appeal. That has been rejected as well.
When it comes to deciding who gets financial support for out-of-province medical care, the Ministry of Health said they look to see if the services being accessed are available in Saskatchewan.
“If services are available we need to ensure that the services that are offered have been accessed and have been tried to the greatest extent possible,” said health minister Dustin Duncan.
According to Fortier-Kot they were rejected because they have not exhausted all the possibilities.
“The Saskatoon Health Region has also recommended that we do intensive therapy, but they cannot offer intensive therapy here. Not only that, but they do not have the expertise needed for Kayden,” she said.
The region is putting forward a new application to the government and can appeal again for coverage out of country, Fortier-Kot said.
In the meantime, Kot isn’t yet walking, talking or eating because of his food issues.
“Typical four-year-olds are walking around, running around, playing, Kayden it’s mostly therapy and trying to get him caught up with all of these delays,” Fortier-Kot said.
