Son of paralyzed man slams health officials

The son of a 68-year-old Winnipeg man, who became paralyzed after being bit by a mosquito last summer, has accused health officials of providing conflicting information about his father’s care plan, resulting in unnecessary fear and anguish.

Michael Daman said his father, Trevor, was infected with West Nile virus while visiting the family’s cabin in Nopiming Provincial Park northeast of Winnipeg. Within weeks, he lost mobility from the neck down and could no longer speak without an electronic aid or breathe on his own.

“The last words I heard before he was paralyzed were, ‘Michael, I’m dying. I love you,’” Michael said in a phone interview, his voice breaking as he described the beginning of a months-long battle to secure care for his father.

Michael wants the health system to improve communication and co-ordination. He said health officials have failed to articulate how they will care for Trevor, who is fully cognizant, and is being cared for at the Health Sciences Centre.

He said the situation is a sign of a larger issue that plagues Manitoba medical care.

“I don’t understand how any person who doesn’t have somebody standing up for them and constantly asking questions about what’s going on has a chance,” he said.

According to him, the family was told for months that his father would be transferred to the respiratory chronic care program at Riverview Health Centre, which is the only facility in Manitoba capable of providing such complex care.

However, staff at HSC and Riverview can’t tell them when that will occur and what it will cost, he said.

“Over the last year, we’ve thought (the transfer would occur) from a couple of weeks, to a couple of months, the next day it’s back to a couple of weeks… There’s no way to possibly plan for any of this if this place cannot co-ordinate with the hospital and with us,” Michael said.

“There are no alternatives that have been discussed with us. We’re really scared because we don’t have any information.”

Michael said he was told on May 6 that his father would be transferred to Riverview, but that never happened. When he asked about it, he was told his father no longer qualified for the program, but no explanation was provided, he said.

Michael was later told by an HSC staff member that Riverview doesn’t have the resources to accept his father as a patient, he said.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said it is waiting for space to open at the facility.

“This is a community that offers highly specialized comprehensive care for those with very complex care needs,” a spokesperson said in an email statement.

“As a result, there may be times when there is a wait list to ensure that we have the necessary resources (e.g. space, equipment, staff) to provide safe patient care and meet the complex needs of all the people living in this community.”

On Saturday, one day after the Free Press asked the WRHA to comment on Trevor’s case, medical staff told his family he would be moving to Riverview on Monday, Michael said.

Information on how and at what time that move would occur was not provided, Michael said.

The facility, located at One Morley Ave., includes 30 beds for respiratory chronic care, with a mix of private and semi-private suites. Patients have access to physiotherapists, health care aides, respiratory therapists and physicians.

In Manitoba, the fee for chronic care service is a daily rate determined by the patient’s income. Based on information he’s been provided, Michael said the fees for his father could range from about $50 to $100, but those estimates are too broad for the family to prepare a financial plan.

Trevor, who is able to communicate using a specialized device that allows him to type with his eyes and convert the text into electronic speech, has expressed frustration and dismay about the situation, Michael said.

“He is saying it’s ridiculous. He is saying he is scared. He’s desperate to find out what the costs are going to be.”

The family is eager to get Trevor settled into a suite at Riverview. He will feel more at home there and they can keep him comfortable and entertained, by buying new furniture and a larger television, Michael said.

Trevor made his living as an agricultural salesman before retiring about a decade ago. His son described him as a kind-hearted man who loved to cook, build things and tinker with his boat before he was paralyzed.

Since being admitted to the hospital, Trevor has improved his mobility. He can nod and shake his head, and can sometimes wiggle his wrist and fingers.

“Surprisingly, he remains in good spirits at the hospital,” Michael said. “He’s not going to stop fighting.”

Trevor was one of 10 Manitobans infected with West Nile virus last year. Of those, one person was asymptomatic, four experienced minor symptoms and five suffered from neurological symptoms, as per provincial data.

Manitoba has recorded fewer than 10 human infections in each year since 2018, when cases spiked to 34. The historic high for provincial infections reached 587 in 2007, the data shows.

The provincial government operates a surveillance program in the summer to monitor the mosquito population for potential infections.

The program is on track to begin in early June and continue until early September, a provincial spokesperson said.

The end date may be adjusted depending on surveillance data and weather conditions. The annual budget for the program is about $200,000.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca