Edmonton family ‘hit a wall’ trying to refill 8-year-old son’s dwindling medication

Jaclyn Kuffel and John Jerrett’s eight-year-old son, Peter, was diagnosed with a human maturation hormone deficiency aft the parents noticed their lad wasn’t growing.

That was erstwhile the household lived successful Turkey, wherever Jerrett had a occupation with the Canadian Armed Forces astatine the Canadian Embassy.

They initially saw a pediatrician there, past were observed by a pediatric endocrinologist for 2 years — during which clip Peter dropped to the 1st-percentile for tallness for his age.

The endocrinologist past prescribed Genotropin — an injectable quality maturation hormone. The household said Peter began increasing erstwhile helium started the regular medication.

“He began his treatment’s successful February,” Kuffel said.

They moved to Edmonton successful July and brought arsenic overmuch medicine arsenic they could, but present it’s moving out.

The household said Genotropin is simply a restricted cause successful Canada and lone endocrinologists are allowed to prescribe it.

“He doesn’t cognize helium lone has a week left,” Jerrett said. “We conscionable told him we’re moving connected it and ma and dada volition fig it retired — but ma and dada person deed a wall.”

Because their medicine and diagnosis is from different country, it’s not valid successful Alberta.

“To beryllium valid, a medicine indispensable beryllium provided by a idiosyncratic authorized to prescribe nether Alberta oregon national legislation,” Alberta Health said successful a statement.

For sum nether the province’s specialized precocious outgo cause program, it has to beryllium prescribed by a pediatric endocrinologist. The household said they fundamentally person to commencement from scratch.

“We’re conscionable going astir successful circles, trying to fig retired however to get an reply and however to determination forward,” Jerrett said.

Kuffel says it could months, oregon up to a year, earlier they spot that benignant of specializer due to the fact that determination are astir 400 different patients connected the waitlist.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Kuffel and Jerrett said they recovered retired they volition beryllium capable to root the medicine themselves — but paying retired of pouch volition outgo $1,000 a month. That terms volition summation arsenic their lad grows and his dose increases.

Right now, they’re unsure if security volition screen anything. They accidental they’re blessed to get the medication, adjacent if they person to wage retired of pocket.

Alberta Health Services did not respond to Global News’ questions astir hold times earlier deadline. For much connected this story, ticker the video astatine the apical of the page.

— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News