The region’s only pediatric cardiac surgeon has left the IWK on a leave of absence, which could see more children being flown to Toronto for surgery.

Doctor Camille Hancock-Friesen has not been replaced, but the IWK’s VP of medicine says surgeons are being brought in from elsewhere in Canada to handle scheduled surgeries.

“We have not lost any surgical dates,” says IWK VP of Medicine and Academic Affairs, Doctor Krista Jangaard. “The surgeons and I are coming, I believe on three occasions, currently booked over the summer.”

However, when it comes to emergencies, some children will have to be flown to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.

“We have an ongoing relationship that the children would be cared for in Toronto, if that need should arise,” says Dr. Jangaard.

Dr. Jangaard says the team at the IWK has been searching for a replacement since they found out that Dr. Hancock-Friesen was taking a leave of absence in the early spring. She says a number of high quality candidates have applied and they’re currently in the process of interviewing them.

“When you’re recruiting for a sub-specialty service like this surgeon would be, it is a process that does take some time,” says Dr. Jangaard.

Dr. Hancock-Friesen operated on Rachel Covert when she was 23 months old. Her mother, Jocelyn, says she can’t express enough love for Dr. Hancock-Friesen.

“As she was leaving, she said to me, ‘I will treat Rachel as if she was my own’, and I think she did,” says Covert.

The Coverts even named their next daughter ‘Camille.’ Jocelyn says she would be concerned if her child had to be flown to Toronto.

“If something’s going on with your heart, you need somebody who can fix it, like right then and there if necessary,” says Covert.

While everyone supports Dr. Hancock-Friesen’s continued growth and development, they also see the departure of a highly respected doctor as a significant loss.

As far as doctors know, Dr. Hancock-Friesen will be coming back. Her leave of absence in Texas is scheduled for one year.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell.