Canadian boy saved in U.S. after Quebec doctors planned to withdraw life support and harvest organs
One hospital gives up hope, another gives hope
A Quebec boy who had suffered a drowning incident and was given up on by Montreal Children’s Hospital has been given another chance at life by Louisiana’s Ochsner Children’s Hospital. Arthur Tétrault, the 2 ½-year-old son of New Orleans native and former Montreal Councilor Nicolas Tétrault, drowned on October 8 and after receiving CPR from Tétrault, was resuscitated at Lakeshore Hospital in Point Claire, Quebec. Arthur was then moved to Montreal Children’s where he received “good service” for about five to six weeks, after which doctors decided he had no chance of survival or would remain in a vegetative state for years and that they were going to remove him from life support on November 29th and stated that his organs were good for donation. Nicolas claimed that his son was way over-drugged and that he was told by the hospital that his son was “good for garbage.”
Specialists' recommendations dismissed by hospital
Nicolas Tétrault did his own research and contacted top doctors who called Montreal Children’s recommending they increase Arthur’s oxygen to 30% for about forty-five minutes to an hour a day, twice a day. This treatment has shown positive results but the hospital refused. Also recommended was hyperbaric oxygen, about which Quebec doctors said they had no proof it would work and that it was not a recommended treatment In Canada for drowning victims.
Among the doctors contacted were Dr. Paul Harch, a Louisiana specialist on hyperbaric oxygen treatment, and child rehabilitation specialist Dr. Pierre Marois, who had spoken together at conferences about hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Dr. Marcois visited Arthur at Montreal Children’s and was surprised that they were considering removing him from life support at that point. Dr. Harch was not surprised at the hospital’s reaction, however, stating that it is pretty typical for doctors to write off children with injuries as serious as Arthur’s and that parents suggesting an unconventional treatment like hyperbaric oxygen can result in a confrontational situation.
Moves son to U.S. hospital that will treat him, vows investigation
Tétrault and his wife cleared out their retirement account and flew their son by air ambulance to New Orleans where Ochsner Children’s Hospital treated him. Thirty days after leaving Montreal he was off the ventilator and moved from the pediatric ICU to a regular room. Tétrault posted his experience on social media which he recorded as his son was being wheeled out of the ICU and promised that he would conduct an investigation into what happened in Montreal Children's and that heads would "fall."
. . . We have all the names and everything. Just watch out the next months and the weeks to come what's going to come. Just mark my words. We have all the names of the people, we have everything. . . . telling you some heads are going to fall when I'm finished doing my investigation. . . .
Ben Mulroney, the son of former Canadian premier Brian Mulroney, posted a link to his interview with Tétrault on X stating,
Nicolas Tétrault @NicolasTetrault went against the wishes of his son’s Canadian doctors, sending him to the United States for treatment. Had he stayed in Canada, he would’ve died. After 30 days in the US, he is out of the ICU and recovering well.
Montreal Children's says it doesn't discuss organ donation unless death is imminent
According to Montreal Children’s, they never discuss organ donation unless death is imminent and it "never factors into decisions or discussions about neuroprognosis." Children with injuries like Arthur’s, the hospital states, generally don’t survive or, if they do, they remain in a permanent vegetative state.
“In general, there is little hope for survival of a child whose heart stops outside the hospital and requires prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation, arriving at the hospital without a heartbeat. This can happen in cases such as drowning. The usual outcome is either death or survival in a permanent vegetative state,” MCH communications director Christine Bouthillier said in an email.
While it is unknown whether Arthur will walk or talk again, he is still very much alive and will begin to receive hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Tétrault said that he and his wife will dedicate a part of their lives to helping drowning victims gain access to life-saving treatments. In Tétrault’s tweet below, he thanks the doctors and hospital in New Orleans.
News from #ArthurTetrault in #English A million #thankyou’s to #Ochsner and Doctor Paul G Harch of #NewOrleans, #Louisiana, #USA#Canada#Quebec @BenMulroney
@OchsnerHealth
#Quebec#polqc#cdnpoli#uspoli
In his video, he points out that his son is still sedated and paralyzed from the drugs though receiving half the amount that he had been given in Canada and is slowly being weaned off of them.
Healthcare as a service vs. a cost
Tétrault noted the difference between Canadian and U.S. healthcare systems—in the U.S. patients are seen as clients while in Canada, which has socialized medicine, they are considered an expense. Tétrault believes the treatment for his son will cost over six figures. Not many people have their own resources to be able to afford to pay out of pocket the way the Tétraults can.
Canadian medical malpractice lawyer Patrick Martin-Menard agrees that Canada lacks a customer service attitude and doctors, nurses, and decision-makers can be disrespectful, condescending, or even abusive towards patients. He wonders, however, if a system with serious financial barriers is better.
However, in Canada, a focus on MAiD (medical assistance in dying) is often a barrier to care, as the government's socialized medical system offers patients MAiD in replacement of care.
Examples of Canadian doctors and government agencies offering death instead of necessary healthcare and assistance abound. For instance, disabled veteran and Paralympian Christine Gauthier was offered MAiD instead of the wheelchair ramp she had been requesting for five years. Roger Foley, a disabled man denied in-home care, was pressured to accept death, and told that he was costing the government north of $1,500 per day..
In the U.S., meanwhile, medical expenses are among the leading causes of bankruptcy. Many hospital bills are inaccurate, as well. Recently, the Biden administration proposed removing medical debt from consumer credit scores, aiming to improve access to home loans and job opportunities for those burdened by healthcare costs.
Hear from the experts
For more details about hyperbaric oxygen therapy and Arthur’s journey, watch this video by Informed Life Radio featuring Dr. Paul Harch, Dr. Ted Fogarty, and Nicolas Tétrault. Dr. Harch noted that the first time a child who survived a drowning incident was given hyperbaric oxygen therapy was in 1989. Since then, he has treated 160 children who have drowned. As a non-reimbursed therapy, he has only been able to treat two children in a hospital setting, having to wait to treat others till they were released.
The feature image is a screenshot from Nicolas Tétrault's tweet of his son's progress.
The information contained in this article is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as health, medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a physician, lawyer, or other qualified professional regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition, health objectives, or legal or financial issues.
Article resources:
- Dad says U.S. treatment Canadian doctors dubbed as ‘witchcraft’ will help son
- Former Quebec politician says Canadian hospital wanted to ‘harvest the organs and kill’ his young son
- New Biden rule would remove medical debt from millions of credit reports
- See how hospitals inflate bills and shake down patients for millions
- Canada's dark path: hundreds of unreported abuses of euthanasia laws
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