Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we have the privilege of meeting people all across our great country. However, no matter where I have been, I have not met anyone with the passion, enthusiasm, or dedication to a community that can match that of Edmonton Manning's own Carol Quiring. Carol is always on the go, and I have been blessed to call her my friend. Sadly, earlier this year, Carol was diagnosed with ALS, a terrible disease for which there is no known cure.
Virtually everyone in the House has a personal story about ALS, and many have helped raise awareness and funds for research to find a cure for this deadly disease. While a cure has yet to be discovered, one drug, edaravone, has been found to slow progression by 33%. Unfortunately, this drug is not yet approved by Health Canada, and it is very difficult and expensive to obtain.
I hope that the Minister of Health can help speed up the approval of this drug, as I and many other Canadians have written to request.