B.C. provides $400,000 in one-time funding for North Vancouver boy’s rare-disease treatment

The B.C. government has agreed to provide $400,000 in one-time funding for Nathan Hepburn, a North Vancouver boy with an extremely rare brain arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. The condition can lead to lethal brain hemorrhaging.

Nathan’s mother, Natasha Hepburn, found a doctor in Germany who pioneered treatment after researching options and working with overseas experts. She said there is no cure available in North America. The family had raised $195,000 through GoFundMe donations before the province stepped in.

The funding will cover medical costs associated with Nathan’s remaining AVM treatments, but not travel, accommodation, meals or other non-medical expenses. The NDP government described the funding as exceptional and one-time.

The government had previously denied funding because the treatment was considered experimental. Nathan’s local neurology team appealed that decision in May. In a letter to Hepburn, then-health minister Ravi Kahlon said the province must use public funds responsibly and support publicly funded treatments with appropriate evidence, while recognizing that families facing serious and complex conditions may seek innovative options.

Kahlon, who has decided not to seek re-election, made the decision while still in cabinet. Former B.C. Conservative health critic Anna Kindy, who had advocated for the family, welcomed the funding but questioned its timing and whether future rare cases would receive similar support.