Mom frustrated by surgery wait times

Local mother Connie Hebert is concerned for her four-year-old son Eric Roy, after being told he will have to wait nine months for much-needed dental surgery.

Eric had a dental check-up Tuesday as part of the government’s Healthy Kids program, which showed he needed to have dental restorations performed under general anesthetic.

Even through Eric is in daily pain from his teeth, Hebert was told it would take nine months to have the procedure performed in Prince George.

“He’s up at 3:30 every morning with his toothache,” Hebert said. “I expected a wait, but not nine months.”

She said the dentist prescribed penicillin and told her to cut out sweets and give him aspirin for the pain.

“That’s a long time for anyone, especially a four year old, to be in pain,” Hebert said. “And what is nine months going to do to the rest of his teeth?”

After calling around, Hebert discovered the surgery could be done in two weeks in Vanderhoof, she said. However, the dentist there is not covered by the Healthy Kids program and the procedure would cost over $600, plus travel costs and hotel.

Hebert is a single mother living on $825 a month from long-term disability because of crippling arthritis in her knee. In addition, there would have to be at least one initial consultation visit before the surgery is done.

She said there just isn’t enough left at the end of the month to pay for her son’s surgery.

“If you’re not rich you don’t get anywhere these days,” she said. “Without help, he’s going to have to wait nine months. It just makes me sick to my stomach to think about it.”

Hebert said her family don’t have the means to help her and Eric’s dad is no help.

“Why can they do the procedure in two weeks in Vanderhoof and it takes nine months here? It’s just ridiculous,” Hebert said.