Good morning. My name is Nathalie Roy. My 16-year-old daughter, Sabrina, has Hodgkin's disease. She has stage 4B cancer, the last stage. She was diagnosed in May of this year, so not that long ago. She has a younger sister who is 14. This is a trying time for our family. As a teenager, Sabrina has dealt with all kinds of stress and self-esteem issues.
She really needs her parents now, and we are always there. I have been on leave from my nursing job since May, so I can be home with Sabrina. I go with her to her chemotherapy treatments, as a result of which, she has been repeatedly hospitalized. She finished chemotherapy in August but is now undergoing daily radiation treatments, which will last eight weeks. She also has oncology appointments.
The passage of Bill C-44 is essential from a support and care perspective. Sabrina is outraged, fed up. She's a teenager. This week, she just wanted to throw in the towel. We are close. It is vital that parents be near their child. In our case, we were able to spot Sabrina's distress quickly, and then give her encouragement and explain how important it was that she not give up on treatment.
Forgive me, but this is very difficult. I had prepared a statement, but now I'm just speaking from the heart.
Sabrina often says to me, “Thank goodness you're here, mom. Otherwise, what would I do?” In the oncology ward, you see children who are by themselves all the time. All of you are probably mothers or fathers. All of you have obligations, a house, a car, a family to feed and so on. So you have to work. It pains me to see kids there by themselves because their parents have obligations. If this bill is passed, it will likely mean that kids no longer have to go through the experience alone. It's not fair for a child to have to do this on their own. Even an adult has a tough time coping; just imagine what it's like for a child. As we face this ordeal with Sabrina, we feel a lot of sadness, guilt and anxiety, but I have the satisfaction of being there with my daughter. We go with her to all of her appointments. She isn't alone.
The passage of this bill would be a boon for children. I am speaking for the children, but also for their mothers and fathers. I lost a little girl, so I know what it is to grieve, and I know how impossible it is to go back to work under those circumstances. Everyone must go through the grieving process. If they go back to work too soon, they will most certainly fall into a depression. We are human beings. We need to face adversity with family around us; we need to take a step back to mourn and say goodbye. People who don't have that option suffer untold anguish. They become depressed, and sometimes they even try to commit suicide. In some cases, there is no telling how far it will go.
I had a lot I wanted to say today, but there is one thing I want to say above all else: Please pass this bill. You must do so for the sake of our children, your children and your grandchildren. We never know what life will throw at us. I would never have thought that cancer would befall my daughter.
Thank you very much.