Daughter able to see terminally-ill father after isolation waiver granted

UPDATE: On Sunday afternoon, a Medical Health Officer was able to provide Leah Phillips a waiver on her 14-day-isolation so she could see her father, with strict protocols in place throughout the visit.

Sixteen hours, 1,600 hundred kilometres and one international border crossing.

That's how Leah Phillips and her husband Austin spent the last 24 hours as they drove from Denver to Saskatoon in an attempt to see Leah's dying father who is receiving care at Royal University Hospital.

But despite their long journey, the two werestill unable to see Leah's dad despite being blocks away because they're both required to self-isolate for 14 days.

So they contacted Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health and the office of Premier Scott Moe in an attempt to get an isolation waiver before it'stoo late. They don't know how long their loved one has to live.

"The only way I can possibly begin to describe itis heartbreaking," said Leah from her dad's home in Saskatoon where the two are isolating. "My dad is in a hospital bed by himself, and I'm just blocks away not able to see him, give him a hug and hold his hand."

The United States is a hotspot for COVID-19, leading the globe in the number of deaths recorded as a result of the virus by a large margin.

However, Leah and her husband travelled from Colorado, where roughly 31,700 cases have been confirmed, a number much lower than states hit hardest by the virus, like New York, where there are more than 17,000 confirmed deaths and more than 4,600 probable deaths.

Leah's father, John Phillips, was admitted to hospital on June 19 and roughly a week later on June 26, his family was informed that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

CBC reached out to Premier Scott Moe's Office, the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) for comment on the family's concerns. Sunday morning, the SHA got in touch with CBC, asking for the family's direct contact information. Hours later, the waiver was granted.

The two got tested for COVID-19 on Saturday afternoon and werewilling to share their results with the Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority, to ensure their presence at the hospital does not put anyone else at risk.

Leah says the provincial government needs to reexamine its restrictions around international travel to account for situations like the one her family is facing, saying "there are circumstances that just don't fit a blanket protocol or rule such as this."

"It is not a one-size fits all situation," she said. Adding: "All the time and energy that I should be dedicating to processing my dad's diagnosis and supporting him throughout this really difficult time, I've spent shedding countless tears on the phone with unit managers, social workers, public health, all to be really met with not a lot of compassion and essentially that they can't do anything for me."

Leah's brother, Carson Phillips, who is travelling to Saskatoon from B.C. said he feels the province should be able grant the waiver, as the family has brought forward a solution by volunteering their test results to the province.

"It just doesn't make sense to have a 14-day quarantine rules and regulations in place when you could have something somewhere in the middle," he said.

"She could go and get tested and if she comes back negative, then she can go and see him and doesn't have to be subjected to the 14-day quarantine. I just don't understand why common sense is not prevailing in these scenarios right now. That's what's frustrating."

A grief expert in Saskatoon saidwhile she'snot in a position to tell the province what to do,it's important for families to be with a loved one in their final days, sinceit's the first step in the grieving process.

"It's preparation in the brain," said Luciene Poole, who has been working as a counselor in Saskatoon specializing in grief and anxiety for more than two decades.

"The more we're able to talk, the more we're able to solidify some of that for ourselves, what we end up doing is accepting some of it," she said. "There's still a shock when the loss happens, but it's a matter of being able to talk some of that out...and talking out means talking to other family members, as well as the person that is dying."

Poole explained in those final moments, both parties are able to offer each other some reassurance and comfort, andit gives them a chance to plan and prepare for death together.

"When they hear that they're dying, or that they have a serious illness, there's all sorts of fears that come up," she said. "Being able to talk to family members can help with that fear, but it can also bring some comfort."

Poole said it's not uncommon for a person who is facing death to share with their family about their life in their final hours, to ensure how they lived their life what it meant to them and also,how they're feeling about their deathare relayed as part of their legacy.

She noted that the effects of a death may be prolonged if these types of final good-byes are not possible.

"If you're not capable or able to go through some of those steps, it can cause some difficulty for people, definitely," she said.

Earlier in June, the Government of Saskatchewan relaxed restrictions around visitors to Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities, as while visitors were originally prohibited, they've now been allowed for "compassionate care reasons."

This includes family members or support people during end-of-life care, major surgery, or intensive and critical care, with the visitors subject to extensive screening and requirements, like wearing a mask while inside.

"We recognize how difficult this is for patients and families, but this decision is guided by the need to protect our patients and health care teams during COVID-19," explained the Government of Saskatchewan's guidelines for healthcare facilities.