Mary Grace Rico has spent the previous seven years in search of medical assist for what started as persistent ache.
She struggled to discover a doctor who would give her a prognosis versus a prescription for ache medicine.
“My considering was, oh, I am going to get, , that therapy as a result of, with out the right prognosis, , you’ll they will simply give me ache reliever after ache medicine….I want a therapy. Not solely ache medicine such as you simply give me ache medicine. After ache medicine, it is medicine. It isn’t serving to me in any respect.” Rico stated.
The now 46-year-old usually discovered herself having to advocate for extra thorough assessments.
After struggling to obtain a prognosis in Canada, Rico and her husband sought a second opinion overseas, first with an American physician after which within the Philippines.
When she lastly obtained the prognosis of a uncommon spinal situation: tethered spinal chord with SRRINX, a fluid cyst in her cervical backbone and C4 SYRINX and cervical and Lumbar Stenosis with myelopathy in her lumbar area, she had hope that it would result in an answer.
After travelling to Blusson Spinal Chord Centre in Vancouver, with the paperwork and prognosis she obtained, Rico was informed that they had been unwilling to carry out the surgical procedure as a result of threat of paralysation.
Mary Grace Rico is in search of assist in getting therapy for a uncommon spinal situation. (Submitted by Mary Grace Rico) “It is actually heartbreaking. So we got here again from Vancouver with the heartbreak and I really feel hopeless and helpless…he defined to us that after he open it, there will probably be extra drawback. It’ll get me like paralyzed.” Rico stated.
Because the ache elevated, Rico’s everyday mobility grew to become worse. She needed to take a go away of absence from her job as an LPN and struggles to maneuver round her dwelling.
“I consider my youngsters , my twins, I will be disabled. They may have mom that may’t assist them like a traditional mom. So I cried quite a bit,” she stated.
Rico travelled again to the Philippines and met with a neurosurgeon who was assured of their capacity to carry out the 2 surgical procedures to assist (on the cervical and lumbar areas of Rico’s backbone).
“I used to be crying, like, as a result of it is onerous to simply accept that. I imply, I have to bear with these form of process, it is actually scary. I do know it is scary as a result of it is in my cervical. And the physician defined to me completely what is going on on with my backbone. And what actually breaks my coronary heart was she stated that ‘You’re too younger to be within the wheelchair.’ Rico stated.
“There is a neurosurgeon that would assist me with my scenario, there’s, hope. And I used to be actually optimistic, as a result of the physician that I discuss to is very nice, and I do know that she’s actually good. She is aware of what she’s saying.”
The process additionally comes with a $100,000 price ticket, one thing which has triggered immense stress on Rico and her household. She credit the help of her church, Regina’s BibleWay Baptist Church as a significant help.
“My church household right here in Regina, they’re actually a blessing to us. They actually help us. Like, not solely work our prayers, they care quite a bit to help us financially, emotionally, spiritually….I am actually grateful to have them, particularly with my scenario, the assistance with my with my husband and my youngsters. So as a result of right here in Regina, we have no kinfolk right here in Regina.”
A member of the congregation arrange a GoFundMe web page within the hopes of serving to out the Rico household.
“We plan to promote the home. And on the identical time, we’re asking assist from the GoFundMe as a result of even when we offered the home, is just not sufficient.” Rico stated.
Mary Grace Rico is in search of assist in getting therapy for a uncommon spinal situation. (Submitted by Mary Grace Rico) Rico has reached out to the Ministry of Well being in an try for help or various choices obtainable inside Canada, however didn’t hear again.
In an announcement supplied to CTV, the Ministry of Well being stated, “It’s the doctor’s duty to supply info concerning applicable care and, when required, refer sufferers for care exterior of the province and/or Canada by way of an applicable referral course of when the required service is just not obtainable in Saskatchewan.”
Protection for out of nation therapy is barely thought of in distinctive circumstances and beneath sure circumstances. The important thing requirement for out-of-country medical providers is that the providers requested usually are not obtainable in Canada’s publicly funded health-care system…The therapy have to be thought of the usual of care, not experimental or a part of a medical trial,” the assertion went on to say.
The ministry went on to stipulate the method for out-of-country referrals which features a specialist doctor requesting approval from the Ministry of Well being, describing the scenario and advocating for the affected person.
After struggling to be taken critically by medical doctors, going as far as to modify her household doctor, Rico is pissed off with the shortage of advocacy from her well being care suppliers.
“I stated to him [the doctor], ‘No, it isn’t simply migraine. I do know there’s one thing fallacious with me.’” Rico stated.
Regardless of an unsure future, Rico’s husband, youngsters and church encourage her to have hope.
I’ve that optimistic view that in the future I will be healed with that surgical procedure…Simply to take a look at the optimistic aspect that in the future, in God’s time, , the assistance, the correct assistance will come.”
