Health committee  Over the years, I've been left out of sports and left out of functions, even weddings. I couldn't stand at weddings because I walk with two canes. I have an employer who is very sympathetic. Over the last 26 years, I've missed between a year and a half and two years of work. In

Health committee  Well, with the stringent criteria, whether it was 30 days, 60 days, or six months, there's nothing to be found for the criteria that we have. We can't jump through hoops when our stuff was destroyed in floods or fires and when there's only a 10-year retention on medical records.

Health committee  It was the same thing for me. I never pursued this until I was told by a naturopath that they couldn't do anything for me. In any testing they did with me, they got the opposite results. When I mentioned to them that my mom did take a pill in her first trimester on a couple of oc

Health committee  They never mentioned anything about judicial reviews. After I submitted originally, they gave me 60 days. I scrambled, looking high and low for more evidence to meet the three criteria. I had nothing else but what I had given them initially. In their rejection letter, they said,

Health committee  I have been involved in genetic research testing through CHEO. They have a department called CARE for RARE. It's currently wrapped up now, but I'm sure they might be willing to open it up to people who were undocumented and people who are thalidomide victims as well. I'm sure tha

Health committee  For me, my main question, not to be greedy or anything, is that in 1991 there were four criteria and now there are three, so if I had submitted an affidavit from my mother in 1991, I would have been accepted. In terms of today, that wasn't part of the criteria. I didn't know abou

Health committee  That's correct. When I submitted a sworn affidavit from my mother, they said it wasn't good enough. Even though it was part of the criteria in 1991, it was not good enough for today's day and age, because it's only the three criteria that are set out today.

Health committee  Yes.

Health committee  Yes, I believe there are more people, because I've heard of people with file numbers in the 400s and some with their file numbers in the 300s. Mine was file number 138, and I filed in the middle of May. Also, with there being a distribution of over six million thalidomide pills i

Health committee  My mother was told when I was born that I was gifted. It was just their way of pushing it under the carpet type of thing....

Health committee  On dealing with Crawford, they just kept coming back with the three criteria. They said that if I could get a letter from a doctor.... Well, most doctors are retired. The one doctor I did speak to said that when he started his practice in Sudbury, he received a sample of thalidom

Health committee  The geneticist who comes up twice a year from Toronto to Sudbury said there was one in B.C., but we're talking over 50 years ago now, since this became evident. Most of these people who did have any knowledge about it are all retired now, so I'm not aware of anybody.

Health committee  Good morning. Thank you very much for taking the time to hear our stories. I was born on September 27, 1963, with seven fingers on each hand. The extra ones were surgically removed when I was 18 months old. I have pronounced webbing on both hands and feet, and I have extra-short