害羞草研究所淗e had 92 days as an adult,害羞草研究所� Lee Pratt said of his son.
Aidan Pratt害羞草研究所檚 final weeks in Oliver were a parent害羞草研究所檚 worst nightmare. The 19-year-old was one of 12 people to catch a meningococcal infection before the Interior Health Authority publicly announced the outbreak in mid-December.
As IH prepares to declare the outbreak over next week, the Pratts are still looking for answers, and they feel like they害羞草研究所檝e been left high and dry months after Aidan害羞草研究所檚 death.
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| Aidan Pratt, 19, was one of 12 people to catch a meningococcal infection during an outbreak in the Okanagan.Submitted photo |
Aidan not only contracted meningococcal disease, but he was also attempting to get help with some stomach issues he and his father suffered from. It is still unclear whether he died of a gastrointestinal bleed or the meningitis, but his parents said he seemed to receive little help on either front.
Aidan initially went to the hospital on Sept. 21, where he waited three hours, with an expected wait time up to another five hours. When he and other patients were advised they make follow-up appointments with their doctors, Aidan called his family doctor.
When he was given an Oct. 6 appointment, Lesley Pratt, his mother, said she told Aidan to call back. Aidan was given the opportunity to call in each day and see if any appointments had cancelled, and he was eventually able to get into the doctor害羞草研究所檚 office on Sept. 27.
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害羞草研究所淗e explained the situation of the girl in regards to the meningitis,害羞草研究所� Lesley said.
害羞草研究所淚 normally am an advocate for him, so I害羞草研究所檓 usually present at these meetings. He didn害羞草研究所檛 want me to come because he was now 19, he could do this on his own. 害羞草研究所� All those years I thought I was his biggest advocate. I was there for him at all his appointments and made sure that I was on top of things.害羞草研究所�
The grieving parents also said Aidan told the doctor about the symptoms he had been suffering from with the upper-GI issues, for which the doctor had treated Lee for years.
Despite that, Aidan害羞草研究所檚 parents said the doctor didn害羞草研究所檛 send the young man for any of the same tests his father had been put through for those same issues, but only came out with a protein pump inhibitor to reduce acid production in the stomach 害羞草研究所� something Lee compared with putting a coat of paint on a rain-stained roof.
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害羞草研究所淎nd we know that in his doctor害羞草研究所檚 appointment, the last doctor害羞草研究所檚 appointment, we know that he mentioned that he had splitting headaches and can害羞草研究所檛 sleep at night. Classic meningitis. (He was) exhausted,害羞草研究所� Lee said. 害羞草研究所淥ur doctor is in our community. He害羞草研究所檚 aware 害羞草研究所� or should be aware 害羞草研究所� of any outbreaks. They害羞草研究所檇 already announced it at the school.害羞草研究所�
He was living on a farm with a friend and his friend害羞草研究所檚 grandmother at the time, and after coming back from Kelowna on Thanksgiving, he went back to work just one day, before getting too sick.
He died in a bathroom on the farm on Oct. 12 last year.
害羞草研究所淲e think 害羞草研究所� it was in his brain because he was almost to the point 害羞草研究所� delirious, going blind and thrashing around and he couldn害羞草研究所檛 get to the door to unlock the door,害羞草研究所� Lesley said.
By the time paramedics got to the farm, Aidan had died.
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Aidan害羞草研究所檚 parents said they were unable to see their son for two days after his death.
| Aidan Pratt with his father, Lee Pratt, who said he had taken his son on as an employee in his contract work shortly before his son's death.Submitted photo |
An interview request with IH chief medical officer Trevor Corneil went unanswered. In a media scrum last Friday, IH CEO Chris Mazurkewich declined to comment on whether the health authority should have provided better notice to the community until 害羞草研究所渁ll the evidence is in front of us,害羞草研究所� which he said would still be a few weeks.
Aidan had just arrived back in Oliver from working up north, and when he returned he made the rounds with friends from around the Okanagan and Similkameen.
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害羞草研究所淗undreds of people he had been in contact with while he was communicable,害羞草研究所� Lesley said. 害羞草研究所淥ur son went to the hospital, then the doctor on the 27th, then he was dead 15 days later.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲hen they knew there was an outbreak,害羞草研究所� Lee added.
Even if it was the GI bleed that killed Lee, his parents said the meningitis was so severe he would have suffered serious complications, which can include gangrene, partial or total hearing or eyesight loss and brain damage.
| Aidan Pratt died just 15 days after a visit with a doctor in Oliver. His parents say the young man told the doctor of his contact with a meningococcal patient but was never tested for an infection.Submitted photo |
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard because our personal triumph with Aidan. He wasn害羞草研究所檛 breathing at birth,害羞草研究所� Lesley said. 害羞草研究所淗e didn害羞草研究所檛 fit into the school system because the school system wasn害羞草研究所檛 set up for kids that are made like Aidan, because Aidan was special. He was with his dad, working with his dad, succeeding in his own way, in the way that he knew how to succeed.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所淲e did everything we could in his short life so he害羞草研究所檇 have a life,害羞草研究所� Lee added, noting Aidan had mild Asperger syndrome and behavioural issues.
After the family threw a celebration of life for Aidan on Oct. 21, which they said was attended by about 200, Lee said he got a call from Corneil to say Aidan tested positive for meningococcal infection and that there was a carrier in the group.
Because Interior Health害羞草研究所檚 own investigation into the issue has not been completed, and because no cause of death has yet been determined, Aidan害羞草研究所檚 parents said they feel like they害羞草研究所檝e been left hanging dry for months since his death.
If the family wanted to sue their physician, they said they would be outgunned by lawyers, with the backing of the Canadian Medical Protective Association. According to the CMPA website, members are eligible for assistance 害羞草研究所渋n the form of legal representation, and payment of legal costs, judgments, or settlements to compensate patients when it is determined they were harmed by negligent care.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎s a contractor, if myself or any of my employees break, destroy, mess up something on a job site, I害羞草研究所檓 accountable and responsible to fix that. Not lawyer up and hide,害羞草研究所� Lee said.
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Mazurkewich told reporters last week there was oversight from Interior Health, as well as from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. The latter group does take complaints from the public regarding physicians, according to its website.
The college, which a spokesperson said in an email takes about 1,000 complaints a year, relays complaints to physicians, who can send a response, and then the complainant is given another opportunity to respond before an investigation is opened.
Among the outcomes, if the college is critical of the physician, the college may speak with the physician about the issue and where he or she erred, provide help to improve their practice, provide a warning or take disciplinary actions.
Disciplinary actions were not elaborated on by the spokesperson or the website.
But the family said they want to see the legal protection afforded by the CMPA changed.
害羞草研究所淚n a generation, our names will be forgotten. In a generation, our son害羞草研究所檚 name will be forgotten,害羞草研究所� Lesley said.
Lee said he wants to make sure that doesn害羞草研究所檛 happen.
害羞草研究所�(How do we) change legislation, change laws so that my son害羞草研究所檚 name gets written in law so that he害羞草研究所檚 never forgotten?害羞草研究所�
dustin.godfrey@pentictonwesternnews.com
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