Five-year-old waits too long for simple procedure to help him hear

NEW WESTMINSTER— A five-year-old New Westminster boy has had to wait 14 months to have a simple procedure to help him hear because of the failures of Christy Clark’s Liberal government, say B.C. New Democrats.

Doctors recommended that Leo Trentadue have an ear tube installed in mid-2015. Leo finally has his surgery date set for later this month, but since he started kindergarten in September, he has had to sit at the front of his class so he can hear his teacher.

“A simple procedure that would have allowed Leo to do all the normal things that other kids his age can do was hung up for 14 months because the Christy Clark government failed to give the health care system the resources it needs,” said New Democrat health spokesperson Judy Darcy.

“A basic procedure that would have taken only a few minutes would have changed Leo’s world. The sad reality is that under the Christy Clark government, British Columbians like Leo are waiting too long for quality public health care.”

Leo’s mom, Mary Trentadue, says that their health care professionals have been great, and Leo is making the best of his situation, but his inability to hear has been frustrating all around.

“Leo is a strong, resilient boy, but I worry that he’s been missing out at a crucial time in his development,” said Trentadue. “We’ve decided to go public with his story because we don’t want this to happen to other families. It’s such a straightforward procedure, but it’s one that will make such a big difference in Leo’s ability to learn in the classroom and to play sports.

“It’s just not fair that he has had to wait 14 months for something that most of us just take for granted.”