This letter was in response to several sent and no answer or response back. Tell me again why we need to have politicians. Over paid under worker and don't give a damn about anything except themselves or the party they represent. It would be so wonderful to meet an MLA who really cared???
I have to wonder with Falcon's uncaring attitude and oblivious disregard to the citizens of this Province and his own constituents. Why an apparently smart man can not fix the chaos and waste in his own ministry, and make informed decisions instead of having them made for him.
Dear Minister Falcon,
On Friday, January 22nd your wife gave birth to your first daughter. Congratulations on this incredible moment in your life.
You may be wondering what your new daughter has to do with Dr. Christopher Bigelow. To me it is simple. I am hoping by you experiencing this miracle of creating life, it will be the catalyst for a change in how you lead this Province as our health minister. To lead not just by words, but by actions. To not only save lives, but to fulfill lives. To help those that one day may have helped you or yours.
I have read many articles about your family and it’s connection to the health sector. Your mother was a nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital for 30 years. Your dad had a long term degenerative illness, which immobilized him completely and required enormous amounts of drugs and care. But the story that surprised me the most was of your brother Greg and how closely it relates to Dr. Christopher Bigelow. Your brother sustained a severe head injury when he was knocked off his horse in 1986. He was given drugs to treat the swelling in his brain and he had a severe reaction to these drugs which essentially cause his body to burn form the inside out. Ultimately, he died shortly after from this accident and the complications from brain injury he sustained.
I can only assume that with these experiences you have felt every emotion, whether be frustration, hope, sadness and sheer determination to continue the fight for life, just as the Bigelow family has these past 2+ years.
Or maybe you haven’t.
Maybe you were okay with your brother and father having only what was available here – and not reaching for what was possible – over there. Maybe you were told there was nothing more that could be done for them and accepting that answer, instead of putting up the fight they both deserved. Or maybe you were too young to know that when it comes to family and health, never take no as an answer and that every life is worth fighting for.
There is no comparative alternative for Dr. Christopher Bigelow in the province of British Columbia and that is why his family has done all the work to get him to the Halvar Johnson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta. Your decision to deny Dr. Christopher Bigelow’s extension disappoints me not only as a resident of West Vancouver (the city you grew up in), a born and raised citizen of this province and country, but most of all it disappoints me and my belief in the human spirit.
“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.” Francis Bacon
Your actions as minister of health in this province and in particular your decisions in relation to Dr. Christopher Bigelow show that you are not a true citizen or leader of this province. You have left his family stranded on this island with bureaucratic road blocks and you have shown that you have no heart for those you serve.
I hope you reconsider your decision and prove to the residents of BC that the people we put in place to serve us really have our best interests at heart.
I wish your new daughter good health and luck in this great big world of ours. I hope she never experiences what Dr. Christopher Bigelow has, as it seems her father wouldn’t do the right thing for her either.
Sincerely,
Kirsty
3 comments:
I totally agree with all of the letter that was sent, but, 8 years of education and navigating the system I have learned that you need to pool together as a family and educate the system on how to make it work at home omce the faacilities are not there anymore.
What we need is help as to how to make it work at home if this is the journey we choose. This journey is not for all, and yes there should be an alternative, but right now ther is not! I have searched and lived this new journey now for almost 8 years, as od April 2nd! That day will always bring back memories and what ifs, but I can not stay there to long because it is to heart breaking for me. We are now this is it and we need help to get our loved ones the care and therapy they need. My frustrations are many and eveyday I still deal with the frustrations.
I still feel lonely because of lack of knowledge and understanding in society and government bodies. Every day I deal with explaining and educating people about our journey.
Chris and my daughter are a small portion of the TBI world. Why, they are not mobile, they need help with every day tasks....the higher governing bodies do not get this...Chris and my daughter are a 10% population of the TBI world..............our children would have died 10 yeard ago or so, but they did not they are here,,,,,,,,but there is hope and ther are many stories that are proof that with the right care and therapy our children will progress. But why do we need to fight/navigate a system.............they should be learning form our loved ones that progess happens with the right individual therapy.............individual based is the answer!
Our children are miracles in a huge epidemic..............we need to catch up and learn from them, but they might need a voive to act for them................an advocate.........who would have thought, an advocate for our grown children/ They were born healthy, they had dreams and they had futures...and then an huge wall hit our children and thier families. What do you do then.............you fight, you yell, you know what is best for your child, or maybe father, mother, ot broyher, or sister........you know what is right! Now I say please help the families get their loved one the care they deserve. Have knowledge, know that with the right therapy many can thrive..........it does not happen over night, and it might not happen in 1 or 2 years, but it does happen.............when their brain has healed or is healing. Evey story is different as yours and mine, because we are all different....but with a brain injury the brain needs to heal it need retraining...........so help us the survivors and their families to make this work.
I can go on and on because I am way too passionate about this situation and many others situation. It hurts me to know, families that have been torn apart because os the dynamics versus giving families options and actually teaching or training them how to make it work in a home setting. Options are huge....when you feel there are none you are lost! I still feel lost and lonely most of the time because of the lack of knowledge that works within our system,I am educatiing our situation every day and I sometimes feel.............man, am I the crazy one.............people do not get it!
Anyways, that is a piece of my life and what my daughter, who is my mentor, has taught me! I need to go forward and try.....how small my piece might seem to some...educate and voice my concerns. I have learned that we can not botcott the system...for many reasons, example: it mmight bit back and get you down the road...........scary and sad, but diplomacy is stronger then vengence! I have said my piece in the papers, but in small pieces...because it can bit you in the long run.
Kevin, the next journey is home...what ever you choose to do will be the right decision. THERAPY, THERAPTY, thats the main focus.............you will forever be fighting for this right, but keep on fighting the fight, because you know that is the best for Chris.
Good Wednesday afternoon Kevin and Chris.
I am sure Chris was very happy to see his Dad today! Did you have a good workout in the pool?
It must have been a good day for you two with Tara and Judy both working today! A fond hello to them and to all at Ferintosh Unit from me!
I hope the teleconference tomorrow goes well.
Bye for now.
Love,
Larry
Dear Mr. Bigelow,
The dual role of caregiver and patient advocate is a difficult one. Your voice is Christopher's best hope in dealing with our broken health care system. Keep it strong! I invite you to visit thepatientfactor.com and to contact me if you would like to share more of your story.
Sincerely,
Heather Chapman
The Patient Factor
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