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A Family’s Tragic Loss Sparks Urgent Care Debate in Cochrane, Alberta
Neil Rarailo and Emilly Velaseo, residents of Cochrane, Alberta, reflect on their daughter Everest with heartfelt memories. “She was the sweetest little girl. She loved being with her siblings. The most loving person, always giving hugs – spreading light and love and joy wherever she went,” Rarailo shared about his four-year-old daughter.
Everest was adored for her love of the color pink, as well as her fondness for unicorns, flowers, rainbows, hearts, and stars. Rarailo fondly reminisces about picking her up from school, where she would rush into his arms, expressing how much she missed him.
Sadly, their precious daughter’s life was tragically cut short in late October 2024. During a Halloween gathering, Everest began to display symptoms resembling a cold the following morning. Given her history of respiratory issues, Rarailo, a pediatric nurse, initiated treatment at home, administering frequent doses of her Ventolin inhaler, which initially seemed to help.
Rising Concerns Over Urgent Care Access
Despite his efforts, Everest’s condition later deteriorated. Frantically, Rarailo asked her if she could breathe, to which she shook her head no. Recognizing the severity of the situation, he decided to take her to the local urgent care center, only to find it closed, operating from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
In a desperate attempt, he returned home, only to discover that Everest had stopped breathing. He promptly called 911 and began performing CPR. Upon the arrival of first responders, they utilized a defibrillator and provided her with oxygen, but Rarailo recalls feeling a profound sense of despair as time passed without improvement.
Reflecting on the day’s events, Rarailo questions whether timely access to a 24-hour urgent care facility could have altered the tragic outcome. “While I cannot definitively say that it would have saved her, I firmly believe it would have significantly improved her chances,” he stated. “Emergencies occur at unpredictable times; they don’t adhere to a schedule.”
Official Responses and Community Concerns
In response to inquiries about possible extended hours at the Cochrane urgent care center, Alberta Health Services (AHS) emphasized that most centers are not open 24/7 but continue to evaluate patient care delivery across the region.
Cochrane’s Mayor, Jeff Genung, expressed his commitment to improving urgent care access amid the town’s rapid growth. “Cochrane has doubled in size over the last decade, which has increased pressure on many community services, including healthcare,” he explained. The mayor acknowledged that while expanded urgent care hours are a council priority, healthcare funding is ultimately managed at the provincial level.
Rarailo and Velaseo hope that sharing their story will catalyze action from government officials at all levels, advocating for improved urgent care access in Cochrane and other communities to potentially prevent similar tragedies. “What we really want is the possibility to have more time with our loved ones,” Rarailo added. “If we could have just one more day, one more minute with her — we would give anything.”
Source
globalnews.ca