Regina Pediatric Diabetes closure ‘terrifying’ for Wolseley mother and daughter

When Brexlee arrives home after her first day of school – her blood sugar is low.

Jess McBride, Brexlee’s mother, has been monitoring her levels remotely throughout the day. “Have a snack” she says, as soon as her daughter is in the door.

9-year-old Brexlee, whose interests include bouncing on the trampoline, swimming and dancing, is living with Type 1 Diabetes. The chronic auto-immune disease requires constant monitoring of blood sugar levels and insulin injections with every meal.

If her blood sugar drops too low, it could be catastrophic.

“From what the doctors have told me, they can go unconscious. They can seize. They can end up in a coma.” explains Jess.

And if her blood sugars remain too high, serious complications ensue. It’s a delicate balancing act demanding ceaseless vigilance.

““It is life and death for these kids.”

As scary as that is, it’s the recent development with the Regina Pediatric Diabetes Unit that has Jess McBride truly frightened.

“It’s terrifying. I rely on the diabetes team in Regina at least once every two weeks.”

The young mother learned that the unit would be undergoing service reductions last week after receiving a letter in the mail. Penned by the Saskatchewan Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinic, the letter reads:

“Unfortunately, the Regina Pediatric Diabetes Program is currently unable to provide pediatric diabetes care locally… As a result, children and families who previously received their diabetes care in Regina will be transitioned to the Saskatoon Pediatric Diabetes Clinic for their pediatric diabetes appointments and care.”Jess McBride says the news hit her like a truck.

“I don’t know where the support’s gonna come from. We’ve been with them now for a year and we’ve built relationships and learned to trust each other, and now that’s ripped away, that’s gone.”

For Jess and Brexlee, the change could mean an extra hour and a half each way for every appointment. But McBride is worried about other parents as well.

She says it will become a two-day trip for many families –  with added expenses like gas, meals, time off work, and hotels – not to mention hours on potentially treacherous winter highways.

“For the parents that can’t afford that, what do you do?”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has since responded, with a statement saying that the letter was inaccurate.

“The letter contained incomplete information regarding plans for patient care, and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused. The SHA will continue working with care teams, patients and families to determine the most appropriate care plan for each patient and will communicate directly with patients and families regarding any changes to their care.”

The statement also says that only a portion of patients will need to travel to Saskatoon.

“The SHA has implemented a strategy to provide ongoing coverage for current patients through pediatric specialists in Regina. During this period, some patients requiring specialized endocrinology care may need to access services in Saskatoon. We recognize that this may create challenges for patients and families and are working to minimize any disruption to care. We are also taking steps to strengthen the nursing and clinical teams supporting these services to help ensure continued access to high-quality care.”-Saskatchewan Health Authority

But they’ve also acknowledged that they’re working on restoring Pediatric Diabetes Care in Regina for the people of Southern Saskatchewan – indicating the service reduction described in the letter is not entirely untrue. It remains unclear exactly how many patients will need to travel to Saskatoon.

At a press conference introducing an expansion of Regina General Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill addressed the matter. “I will say I was a little bit personally disappointed with the letter that went out Friday, just in the tone of its finality for patients. If I’m one of those 150 families affected, and I’ve heard from many of them over the weekend, what they read in that letter is that that service will no longer be available in Regina. And that is not going to be the case. We are going to work with our teams here, work with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to make sure that we can have those services available right here to those families in Southern Saskatchawan.”

McBride is skeptical of temporary closures. The hospital in Wolesley, where she lives, was closed in 2020 – and supposed to return to full service shortly thereafter. However, to date, it has never fully re-opened, with emergency services currently operating during regular daytime hours, but closed during after-hours, on weekends and on holidays. Residents have complained about going to the hospitals only to find a notice on the door saying it’s closed. So, she says, she is left with more questions than answers.

“What are we doing for staffing in Saskatoon? Because I can tell you that 150 people who need to be followed to some degree is huge… Who’s picking up for these 150 families? Do Saskatoon families get pushed aside now that we’re being seen regularly? Like this impacts everybody.”

Cailin Hergott’s twin daughters are receiving Type 1 Diabetes Care from the team in Saskatoon.She says the SHA is doing the best they can, and their resources are limited, but she admits the potential impacts could be significant.

“Adding another 150 families. I don’t know if they have the capacity right now to take on all of that extra or not.”

She is hoping for a swift return to full service care in Regina.

“I’m really hoping that this isn’t a permanent closure. I’m hearing that it’s not. But Type 1 Diabetes is 24/7 and it’s not going to be able to wait while things get figured out. “

The Province recently granted Nurse Practitioners an expanded scope of care, including the treatment of chronic illnesses like diabetes, which could help mitigate the void left by this closure. But, McBride says you can’t make up for the loss of a dedicated specialized team.

“They’re specialists and they’re great and they are amazing. And the diabetes team in Regina…This is a huge loss, huge…”

She is pleading for the Province and the SHA to restore service.

“Hire, train, I don’t care what you gotta do. The services need to be reinstated.”

And Brexlee? Well, she has a message for anyone else living with Type 1 Diabetes.

“You’re doing good and keep going. Don’t let it take over.”