N.S. lung recipient says costs around transplant hammered retirement savings

Carolyn Ray · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A Nova Scotia woman recovering from a lung transplant says she had to instrumentality tens of thousands of dollars from her retirement fund successful bid to undergo the life-saving procedure because provincial aesculapian allowances autumn acold abbreviated of her expenses.

Nan Clarke, who is primitively from Charlottetown but retired successful the Halifax area, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis successful 2019. That's a thickening of the lungs that causes them to stiffen up.

"We were told determination was a anticipation of dying aboriginal on. That was hard to take," Clarke, 73, said successful an interview.

Clarke's lone accidental of endurance was a transplant, but that meant temporarily moving to Toronto.

Lungs are the lone organ that can't beryllium transplanted connected the East Coast. Patients acquisition their archetypal attraction and tests successful Halifax, but indispensable determination and unrecorded wrong 2 hours of the University Health Network portion they are connected the transplant database and during a betterment period. Patients person nary thought however agelong they'll beryllium there. 

"You're not conscionable coming up for a fewer months," said Clarke, who relocated to Toronto successful July 2024 with her husband.

Every period she waited for surgery, Clarke received $2,500 from the Nova Scotia authorities to screen her accommodations. This month, that magnitude accrued by $500.

But Clarke said that amount is completely retired of interaction with the world of her situation. She said furnished, clean, month-to-month apartments are intolerable to find connected that budget. They ended up paying $5,970 a period successful rent, utilizing their savings to marque up the difference.

"We were panicking and I wanted my lung transplant," she said. "So we're into $40,000 casual retired of our status savings."

Life-changing decisions

Six years ago, immoderate patients connected the East Coast were choosing palliative attraction alternatively of lung transplants due to the fact that they didn't privation to hazard bankrupting their families.

After CBC News reported connected the issue, several provinces boosted funding.

Clarke believes with inflation, patients volition extremity up choosing palliative attraction erstwhile again. She knows of different Nova Scotia family successful Toronto that is successful the process of selling their location to screen the costs of a transplant.

Her husband, Dave Clarke, said the fiscal concern forced connected patients is unacceptable.

"It's not tenable successful my caput that the Nova Scotia authorities treats individuals who person to permission the state for attraction arsenic a second-class citizen," helium said.

Their concerns aren't constricted to Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Island offers the lowest magnitude successful the region, with those patients receiving $2,500 a month.

Health PEI confirmed to CBC News that its programme is nether review, but wouldn't springiness a timeline for erstwhile backing mightiness change.

Robert Macdonald of the Lung Association of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island has agelong advocated for much fiscal supports for those who person nary prime but to move.

He said between 12 and 20 Nova Scotians spell to Toronto for lung transplants each year, and less than 5 radical spell from P.E.I.

"We don't privation to beryllium successful a spot wherever we deed the postal codification lottery, arsenic they say. We privation entree to wellness attraction crossed the committee nary substance wherever you live," helium said.

Macdonald is applauding the Nova Scotia authorities for expanding the allowance, but said patients inactive person concerns.

"Families bash person to marque immoderate pugnacious decisions astatine times and that tugs astatine your heartstrings."

Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson declined an interrogation with CBC News. In a statement, the section acknowledged that lung transplant patients look fiscal challenges, which is wherefore it accrued the allowance a fewer weeks ago.

When asked wherefore the state doesn't match New Brunswick, which offers $4,000 a month, the section said determination are differences betwixt programs. It pointed retired that Nova Scotia pays for question for the diligent and caregiver, portion New Brunswick does not.

The connection besides said immoderate provinces don't person aesculapian accommodation allowances astatine all.

That reply is not bully capable for the Clarkes.

Nan Clarke had her transplant successful December, and present that she's good connected the roadworthy to recovery, the mates plans to advocator for others.

They've been penning letters to politicians that person gone unanswered.

Dave Clarke said he volition beryllium tallying up their accommodation expenses and sending the measure to Premier Tim Houston.

He said the state is sending a wide connection to the unfortunate fewer who request lung transplants: "Be prepared financially to marque a large commitment. Otherwise enactment location and dice from the disease."