Health committee  Oh boy.

Health committee  As a good Canadian, I file my taxes every year and I file my medical expenses. My out-of-pocket medical expenses vary between $7,000 and $10,000 a year. I'm 40, so I've been paying those costs for at least the last 20 years, because, first of all, I travel to Toronto for care. My disease is ultra-rare, so I see a specialist there who specializes in that area.

Health committee  Mr. Chair, committee members, thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. As Ms. Wong-Rieger said, my name is Maureen Smith, and I am a Canadian with a rare disease. It was diagnosed when I was eight years old, after four years of tests and visits to specialists. For the past five decades, access to treatment and drugs has played a key role in my life.

Health committee  Thank you, Durhane. As a Canadian with a rare disease called congenital panhypopituitarism, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to testify before you today to discuss issues that are important to me. My health deteriorated for 20 years because no research was being done on my condition, which is extremely rare.