A Nova Scotia couple lost their first child, Arabella, after a series of critical referral failures at the IWK Health Centre. Concerns about fetal growth were first raised in December 2025 when Cassidy Horne, 31 weeks pregnant, was measuring only 29 weeks. Despite an emergency referral on December 11, the family claims it was lost due to a new digital system implementation. A second referral on December 23 also failed to be processed.
During a January 8 prenatal appointment, the family learned the second referral was still missing. Attempts to follow up were met with system outages and an inability to provide information. An emergency ultrasound was finally scheduled for January 14, but by then, it was too late. Arabella's heart had stopped on January 13 due to the umbilical cord being wrapped seven times around her neck.
The IWK Health Centre confirmed a new digital system was implemented in December as part of the province's One Person One Record initiative. The union representing IWK staff expressed frustration over the rollout, citing concerns about potential errors and delays in patient care. The IWK Health Centre stated it could not comment on the specific case but takes such concerns seriously. The family has lost trust in the provincial health-care system.