79-year-old waiting for open-heart surgery in B.C. says health is deteriorating

A Vancouver senior says she was told by her doctor in November that she required open-heart surgery. Seven months later, she’s yet to receive a surgery date and says her condition is getting worse.

Heather Clarke, a retired health-care worker says her heart's mitral and tricuspid valves need to be replaced. And while she's been waiting for the procedure, she's noticed everyday tasks are getting more difficult.

“Walking up stairs in the house, I walk up, but at the top now I have to sort of pause, take some breaths,”

Around a year ago Clarke says she was very active, often completing high elevation, multi-kilometre hikes. Now, she says even a small stroll feels like a marathon.

“I’m going to get more and more limited in what I can do,” said the 79-year-old.

Clarke is one of many British Columbians anxiously waiting to go under the knife. The pandemic, staffing and funding issues have all contributed to a backlog of surgeries in the province, with some people waiting years for a trip to the operating bed.

“It’s really distressing, not having any idea when I might have a date,” said Clarke.

FRIENDS BECOME ADVOCATES

“Not being able to get essential surgery? Something is very desperately wrong,” said Alex Volkoff, a friend of Clarke who’s advocating on her behalf.

Volkoff says she’s fed up seeing her friend become weaker before her eyes, so she’s decided to raise awareness on the issue by staging demonstrations in front of St. Paul hospital in downtown Vancouver.

“When you watch a friend decline so dramatically over a period of time, and when they discover what the problem is and it can’t be fixed -- you get distressed,” said Volkoff.

She’s helped organize two rallies so far and says several strangers have shared their own stories about how waiting for surgery has impacted their own lives.

CTV News reached out to the health ministry for comment on this issue, but did not receive a response before deadline.

Meanwhile, Volkoff plans to continue fighting for her friend.

“We can’t let the situation deteriorate further than it already has.”