The family of a terminally-ill nine-year-old girl on Vancouver Island has been given one day's notice that her life-changing medication will be cut off.
BC NDP Health Minister Josie Osborne claimed the medication, Brineura, was no longer sufficient to treat the symptoms of Batten Disease, a neurological condition Charleigh Pollock has lived with since she was four.
The condition causes mobility loss and serious seizures. During a press conference on Wednesday, Osborne explained that because Brineura was not an anti-seizure medication and the condition was terminal, Pollock "has met the discontinuation criteria."
The medication, which must be taken bi-weekly, costs around $800,000 per year. She will receive her final government-funded treatment on Thursday.
Pollock's mother, Jori Fales, said Brineura has improved her daughter's life dramatically by stabilizing some of the symptoms. She is expected to release a statement following the final infusion.
This is not the first time the province has pulled funding for Pollock's treatment. In February 2025, the decision was made to cut off government assistance, however following public backlash, Osborne ordered a review of the situation by Canada's Drug Agency and vowed to continue funding until that was completed.
The CDA determined that while Brineura is effective at slowing symptoms in patients until they reach a motor-language score of three or more. Any lower, and it the drug loses its ability to work properly.
The province's decision was met with sadness from the BC Conservatives.
"This is truly heartbreaking to hear as a mother of two girls," MLA Jody Toor wrote in a post on X. "It's devastating to know that a medication that could save a child is being discontinued ... We must advocate for our children and ensure they receive the vital care they need!"
The party's executive director, Angelo Isidorou, called the move "evil."
