A Kelowna-based emergency physician who practices throughout the Okanagan says she knows what it's like to try and navigate British Columbia's health-care system now that she needs a life-saving heart procedure.
Alex Van Duyvendyk, 34, has already faced two major operations — one an open heart surgery — but she now needs another. That additional surgery can be performed by only one physician in North America, who is based in Seattle.
"I have such a better understanding of how difficult this system is to navigate for people that aren't in medicine, now that I've been in this situation," Van Duyvendyk said.
"Even being a physician myself, it's been so incredibly difficult to advocate for myself, and I've got all the right people in my cell phone."
After a trip to the Mayo Clinic in the U.S., Van Duyvendyk discovered there is a 90 per cent chance of opening up the closed coronary artery that is causing her symptoms. A procedure is scheduled for Friday in Seattle.
Van Duyvendyk says she thought she had taken all the right steps to apply for financial relief from B.C.'s Medical Services Plan, but has yet to receive a response. If she doesn't receive notification from MSP before the surgery on Friday, the family will be on the hook to foot the $120,000 bill.
"It needs to be approved before we leave," she said.
"It feels really frustrating because we did give them the appropriate amount of time as soon as we got the date for the surgery. The physicians in B.C. are the ones who referred me so, like, it's not like I'm just choosing to go willy-nilly on my own accord," said Van Duyvendyk.
"This is the only place it's done and I have a complex heart condition."
"I need this procedure, but we don't have $200,000 sitting in a magic pot somewhere," she continued.
Van Duyvendyk says the support she has received from friends and family and the Okanagan community has been tremendous, "I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It's a bit shocking."
Friends of the family have started a fundraiser to help cover the cost of expenses already incurred. Van Duyvendyk says the treatment at the Mayo Clinic cost $50,000, which has not been covered by MSP, and the scheduled surgery will be $120,000 if there are no complications.
Van Duyvendyck has been off work for over a month and her husband has also stopped working in order to care for her and the couple's seven-month-old daughter.
"I'm very short of breath, lots of chest pain, despite all the medications that I'm on. If things were to keep going (like this) I'd have to stay on disability, and I would just get sicker."
The procedure in Seattle on Friday isn't a guarantee, but without it, Van Duyvendyck will need a heart transplant.
"It's not what you want at 34 years old, I should be just starting my career," she said.
The GoFundMe had already raised $49,000 of the $50,000 goal by Tuesday afternoon.
"It's very tough for me because MSP is who pays me when I'm working but right now I'm asking for their assistance, and we're hearing nothing. It's not that we've been denied. We just haven't been given an answer at all. They're aware, it's all been marked urgent."
