I want to thank you for meeting with us, the Widows on a Warpath, today. I am sure you are here out of genuine concern for our difficulties dealing with the bureaucracy around the issue of agent orange. I feel very confident you will do everything in your power to resolve this issue to the satisfaction of all concerned. I ask you to strongly consider everything we have to say in a fair and unbiased manner.
I would like to start by introducing the Bartlett family. First of all, I'll start with my late husband, James F. Bartlett. I just want to show you his picture. Now, this was the last picture of him before he was diagnosed with his cancer, so he looked good there. He was born on May 2, 1946, and died on June 15, 1984. He enlisted in the military on November 30, 1957. Jim spent a good portion of his military career in Gagetown. He had two terms in Cyprus, some time in Germany, he spent some time in Ottawa, and then his last posting was to Halifax.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1983. In April 1983 he had major surgery for the removal of the colon cancer. Following the surgery Jim had radiotherapy, which resulted in his having radiation enteritis. In March 1984 the cancer had spread to his lungs, and he was started on chemotherapy. By the time of his death he had tumours--and I say tumours because there were many--as large as 15 centimetres. They ranged from 9 centimetres to 15 centimetres in length.
While in Gagetown, Jim was exposed to agent orange. From my information, he was not only exposed to agent orange doing the exercises out in the field, he was directly sprayed with agent orange while on exercise in a Jeep. Did agent orange and other chemicals cause his cancer? I think so.
Then I have my daughter, Tracy Ann Bartlett. This is Tracy's picture--a beautiful lady. She is now 37 years old. Tracy was born with multiple disabilities. She has been labelled with a very rare condition. It's ODDD, for short. It's oculodentodigital dysplasia syndrome. It's extremely rare. I don't think there's any condition in North America. At the present time she is living with a family in a private home under community services. It has been a real blessing in our lives to have her there, because this family took Tracy in for respite care. She was given four to six months to live. That was 13 years ago. So that tells you what love and care can do for somebody.
Birth defects are caused by chemicals such as agent orange, agent purple, agent white, etc. Tracy is still a mystery to the health care providers, and most of the time they are at a loss as to how to treat her. About two years ago she was sent home from the hospital, and we were told to just sit beside her and hold her hand because she wasn't expected to live. Was her father's DNA altered because of contact with chemicals such as agent orange, therefore causing her birth defects? I strongly believe so.
Then I'll talk about my son. This is a picture of James. This picture is about a couple of years old.
James was born on November 10 in Halifax. He has chronic asthma, for which he spent much of his younger years in hospital. While in grade 3, he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. These two conditions have had a profound impact on his quality of life.
At age 27, James was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had major surgery and chemotherapy for this. He was diagnosed with liver cancer about three years ago, and we were told his chances of survival were zero without surgery and 30% with surgery. However, during the surgery the doctor couldn't find any sign of cancer, which was a blessing. It was revealed after the surgery that a second test had recommended further testing. The surgeon failed to provide us with that information and went ahead with the surgery anyway.
Today, James appears to be cancer free but will undergo further testing in February. Every day of his life he has had to wonder if, when, and/or where the cancer will return.
Was James' cancer a result of his father being sprayed with agent orange and other chemicals? I strongly believe so.
Jim's death still affects me and my family today. Gathering information, writing letters, and preparing for this meeting have caused me to relive the tragedies in my life. I have had to open wounds that I thought had closed, and I have relived my loss.
Concentrating on past pleasant memories has given me the strength and determination to continue with my quest for justice. Ever since the death of my husband, the death of what could have been a normal healthy daughter, and the near death of my son, I have felt something wasn't right. I didn't quite know what it was until I learned about Jim having been directly sprayed with agent orange and other chemicals. It all fell into place and made sense to me. The spraying of chemicals seemed to explain all the health issues in one family, especially since there is no family history of most of these conditions.
I am now searching for the gift of truth. I feel the actions of others have determined my life and the lives of my children.
You have the opportunity here today to turn it around for all widows, their families, and future generations affected by the spraying of agent orange. We need to look forward for our children and their children. We need an apology. We need justice, and we need to be treated fairly.
Thank you.