B.C. baby's heart surgery cancelled for 2nd time in as many months

For the second time in less than two months, seven-month-old Nash Lee’s heart surgery has been canceled.

The latest cancellation has left the baby’s worried parents searching for solutions.

“He needs a pulmonary valve replacement,” said Robbie Veenhof, Nash’s father. “His pulmonary arteries are narrow so they need to be opened up to allow more blood flow to go through.”

Shortly after birth, Nash was diagnosed with tetralogy of fallot, a combination of four heart defects. While his surgery is considered non-urgent, Veenhof says his cardiologist advised him it’s optimal for Nash to receive surgery between six and nine months old. If not, he says there’s higher risk of health issues.

“The risk of heart attacks and other things increases,” said Veenhof.

CTV News first reported on Nash in November, highlighting the impacts staffing issues and a surge in respiratory illnesses were having at BC Children’s Hospital.

“We have the challenge of exceeded capacity in terms of nurses to look after both sick children with this unprecedented respiratory disease as well as children who need critical care after surgery,” said Erik Skarsgard, chief of surgery at the hospital.

Skarsgard said multiple solutions are being explored.

“We’re working on trying to maximize capacity for elective surgery on many fronts … Including maximizing use of pediatric health-care capacity at our partner health authorities, trying to divert children from coming to our emergency department if they truly don’t need to be here,” he said.

Skarsgard added that they’re also actively recruiting more staff and doubling up children in a single room with one nurse when it’s deemed safe.

Meanwhile, Nash’s parents remain on standby, anxiously waiting for a call for a surgery date. While both parents praise B.C.’s health workers, they say the province’s health-care system needs an overhaul.

“Getting call after call about cancelations is very, very frustrating and extremely disappointing,” said Veenhof. “There really needs to be a push for the government to really figure things out.”

“It’s definitely stressful,” said Chelsea Lee, Nash’s mother. “The decision-makers really need to listen and do something about it because this is not sustainable.”

The parents are also exploring their options for surgery out of province.

“Any family that faces postponement of their child’s scheduled surgery is going to be distraught and distressed by that,” said Skarsgard. “It’s the last thing that we want to do.”

CTV News reached out to B.C.’s Ministry of Health for comment but did not receive a response.