A lifelong journey navigating the health care system

Corinne Lazurko first learned her daughter had a medical issue when Jillian was still in the womb — an ultrasound found an issue with one of the kidneys.

“When Jillian was three days old, we were taken into an office by a doctor to tell us our baby might not survive until tomorrow,” Corinne said. The doctors wouldn’t even see Jillian until she was four months old because she wasn’t expected to live that long.

Now at 31 years old, Jillian has had a lifelong journey navigating the healthcare system. Jillian has bilateral renal cystic dysplasia, which Corinne describes as cysts in the kidneys, as well as other health problems that are not connected to kidney disease, including tremors in her hands and a learning disorder.

Growing up, there was no pediatric nephrologist in Saskatchewan for her to see, so from the time she was four months old, Jillian and one of her parents travelled from their home in La Ronge to Winnipeg to see specialists there.

Then the unthinkable happened: Jillian’s father died tragically in 1998, leaving Corinne as a single mother of two to manage her daughter’s illness on her own. It was up to Corinne to pay for any expenses Jillian needed to thrive with an illness.

“Something people don't understand is that it's expensive to be sick,” Corinne said.

Thankfully, the Lazurkos have had tremendous support from the community, including from the Elks of Canada and the Order of the Royal Purple, the Knights of Columbus, the Kinsmen Foundation, and their church.

Life with an illness hasn’t been easy for Jillian, but she stays positive because she has a good support system, including her younger sister Madelaine, her stepdad, and her grandparents.

“Growing up was different because I would have to go to doctor's appointments, and when I got older, I'd have to miss school,” Jillian said.

When she was 18 years old, the care for her kidney health transferred to St. Paul’s Hospital, and she’s been making the four hour drive to the city for appointments ever since. Jillian is now facing the need to go on dialysis, and she plans on going on peritoneal dialysis so she can conduct it at home. Travelling from La Ronge to Saskatoon several times a week simply wouldn’t be feasible.

“I'm pretty scared, but I know it's coming,” Jillian said. “It's just a matter of time.”

Both Corinne and Jillian know that more medical challenges lie ahead but they have confidence in the healthcare system that has gotten them this far.

“We've seen some pretty dark times and, and we've always come through,” Corinne said. “We're just determined to make this work.”