In this video, Christine Van Geyn tells the story of Vienna Pedatella, a Canadian teenager whose scoliosis worsened while she waited years for the surgery her doctor recommended. Because the Canadian healthcare system couldn’t provide treatment in time, her family found a surgeon in New Jersey – but the government denied funding, leaving her parents to pay $200,000 themselves.
Now, with the help of the Canadian Constitution Foundation and its donors, the Pedatella family has filed for judicial review. Vienna will ask the Court to overturn the decision and reimburse her family for the cost of her surgery. The CCF also seeks a finding that the province violated Vienna’s rights to life, liberty and security of the person as protected by section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms because of the excessive wait.
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