A Saskatoon mother says her young daughter has been struggling to breathe for nearly two years while the family waits to see a surgeon - and Cassie Reid says the wait has taken a heavy toll on their family as they search for answers. Reid says her daughter’s health issues began about two years ago, when the child started experiencing severe coughing and breathing difficulties. According to Reid, fluid has been dripping into her daughter’s lungs, triggering coughing fits. “She coughs till she pukes and she cries in her sleep. It sometimes scares me how hard she coughs because it sounds like she has completely lost the ability to breathe,” Reid said. The condition has also disrupted the nine-year-old’s daily life, forcing her to miss school and limiting what she can do when she is able to attend. “We’re either not going to school or I have to call ahead of time to the school and say there’s no outside, there’s no gym, she can’t today.” Reid says the family saw a specialist in October 2024, but months later learned that doctor had left indefinitely. They say they’ve been waiting to be referred to another surgeon, without any clear timeline for when an appointment or procedure might happen. The uncertainty has meant missed work for Reid, as she often needs to stay home to care for her daughter. Stories like this highlight ongoing challenges in Saskatchewan’s health-care system, according to the province’s Opposition health critic. “We hear stories all the time about people waiting very, very long periods of time for surgery, or in this case, just to see a specialist,” said Keith Jorgensen. CTV News reached out to Ministry of Health for a response but did not receive a response by deadline. For Reid, the hope is simply to get clarity on the next steps, and ideally, a surgery date.
