For one of them, I just let it go. The other one I sold. I managed to have two of them. I sold it for a very minimum amount of money.
I want to let you know that I have an official education of 19 years. I am an agricultural engineer. I was working on my PhD in genetic engineering. I am very knowledgeable about my son's disorder, and I am very grateful that I am able to help my son every day, but I wanted to bring the voice for the other mothers who don't have enough education and who don't know. They desperately want to help, but they don't know how to help.
The other thing is that I didn't have much savings to live on. If there were an EI support, I wouldn't have to exhaust my business credit line. I don't know how to pay that one. I don't have any income to pay my bills. I had the gas cut off for a week. No one here can imagine what it is like to have that happen. I want to say that I wish I had eloquence and comfort with the language because it has made me handicapped. At the same time, I really see how my son feels, how it feels when you are not able to talk. I'm so proud of the lady beside me who can talk on my behalf and for many other people here. I am so sad I cannot articulate it, but I can if there are programs available to support me. I'm sure I could find a job. I'm sure I could open a business again tomorrow.
The other thing is I want to let you know that when I heard people before complaining about taxes--our taxes are too high of course--but I truly have a great pleasure paying the taxes because I do believe what Gandhi used to say that you must be the change you wish to see in the world. I have been taught this since I was a very little girl. I always wanted to be the change that I want to see in the world. I paid revenue bills and all my obligations as a citizen literally with great pleasure, and I never complained about it. I have investments because I believe in the contribution that we make to our society, to our country. But I do not understand who made the decision to say to me, “Yes, you're welcome. You work. You build. You invest. But when your child is sick, you are penniless.” You can go from church to church for five diapers at a time. It's very humiliating, Madame, but I didn't feel humiliated because my mother instincts, my mother heart have driven me those last four years. All I wanted was for Llorian to have his diaper on, because my son has constant diarrhea, and he has had a chronic ear infection for more than two years. That's what I wanted.
I have lived on food bank soups for more than a year, and I have a serious iron deficiency. Despite taking a supplement, my body is not producing it. It is not working. I have a lot of health problems, but if I am given the right help to just start, just move a little bit from this hole that I am in, of course I will be able again to give to my society. I have employed a lot of people in my past. I am very proud, and very happy that I did that. I don't want that to turn into sadness, but I think I do deserve a little bit better.