A grieving family from Burlington, Ont. is on a mission to improve ER wait times after the tragic death of a 16-year-old loved one last year.
Finlay van der Werken was in severe pain on Feb. 7, 2024 when his mother rushed him to the emergency department at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
When he finally saw a doctor — more than eight hours later — Finlay was diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia with hypoxia. He was eventually transferred to SickKids Hospital but did not survive.
Finlay’s family is determined to turn their loss into meaningful change.
Along with demanding a coroner’s inquest, they are calling on the Ford government to introduce legislation — “Finlay’s Law” — that would establish maximum emergency room wait times for children. An online petition has already amassed more than 28,000 signatures.
Finlay's parents, GJ and Hazel van der Werken, have pushed for a face-to-face meeting with Health Minister Sylvia Jones. Speaking to Village Media's Closer Look podcast this week, Hazel confirmed that the minister has agreed to the meeting, now scheduled for Oct. 23.
“Finlay’s Law is really just the start of tackling reform that needs to happen within the emergency departments,” Hazel told the podcast. “Everybody knows how bad and how long the wait times are, but yet we seem to be complacent because nothing has changed…This is something that has been progressively getting worse, and for us as Finlay's parents, it doesn’t even feel like a choice. It feels like we have a responsibility to help with that change and to help make sure that things are reformed.”
You can watch the full episode HERE.
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