When Kendric Campbell turned 16 two months ago, it was a milestone celebration for the Moncton, N.B., teen.
Not only is he a brain cancer survivor, but he’s also lived through two strokes recently that left him partially paralyzed.
But for his mother, Erica, his birthday is also a concerning milestone. Now that he’s 16, he’s considered too old to access the emergency department at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax — the region’s only children’s hospital.
“He’s paralyzed on his right side. Although he can’t run or anything, he can walk now,” she said.
“He was completely paralyzed. Couldn’t use his right side at all when we first got to the IWK. But with the rehab, he’s able to walk now.”
Although he’s in remission from his cancer, Kendric lives with complications from his illness and the radiation treatments he underwent.
Kendric Campbell was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer at the age of three. At 15, he suffered two strokes that left him partially paralyzed.
Provided/Erica Campbell
The reliance on the IWK prompted the family to consider moving to Nova Scotia just to be closer to the children’s hospital.
“He was followed by cardiology. Oncology. He still is followed by oncology, hematology, all the ologies. And he did very well. We go to the IWK quite often,” she said.
“He’s had two strokes. Is he likely to have another one? Which is probably yes, although he’s being treated with blood thinners and he’s monitored very closely right now.”
That’s why she’s calling on the IWK to increase its age limit, and it’s also why the Campbells have an upcoming meeting with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, which treats patients up to 18.
“I think the IWK needs to change their age limit to 18 at least, ideally 21, to protect all the Maritime children, not just Kendric,” she said.
“Because you never know when you need that kind of care.”
Erica Campbell is calling on the IWK children’s hospital in Halifax to expand its mandate. Currently, the hospital’s age mandate only goes up to 16.
Suzanne Lapointe/Global News
Erica has reached out to the CEO of the IWK to discuss her case, and has been in talks with the hospital about expanding its mandate.
“They said they were working on it, and they agreed that the age limit should be increased. And they said they had meetings in April and they were going to work on it,” she said.
IWK Health has already issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a report that evaluates the current age mandate and makes recommendations to expand it. The RFP closed last week.
“Across the country, the age mandate for services at similar facilities ranges from 16 to 19, so there is a lack of consistency,” IWK Health said in a statement to Global News.
“The age mandate at other facilities is an important consideration for IWK Health, and is one part of the information we will use to determine what is best for the patients and families we serve, and the broader health system we work within.”
Erica is hopeful.
Meanwhile, the family is weighing its options — because Kendric’s health can be so unpredictable.
