Lately, I have been amazed by the great amount of kindness shown towards me and I want to say thank you.

When I put a call-of-action on my Facebook status, looking for people to send letters to the Minister of Health urging for financial support for those using enteral and parenteral nutrition, I didn’t expect so many people to offer their support in this cause. I am so appreciative because there truly is strength in numbers. The goal is not to find government support for myself solely but for other New Brunswickers also using feeding tubes. By so many people signing letters and sending them in, we are showing the government that this is a matter the residents of our province truly care about.

As of now, I haven’t received any sign of affirmative action from the government. I did receive an email from the office of the Minister of Health detailing the fact that there is not currently a program in place and agreeing with the fact I do not qualify for the health card through social assistance and to contact the Department of Social Development with those concerns. They also noted that they would take my idea into consideration.

Though the only response I have received has been quite unhelpful, I’m not ready to give up this fight quite yet. I am planning on arranging an appointment with the MLA for my region to share my story and, hopefully, get him on board with this mission. As I mentioned above, having this program in place would help a lot of people handle the financial strain associated with alternate forms of nutrition, especially since independent insurances do not cover the costs either. If anyone has any suggestions on other ways to get my voice heard, I would appreciate it.

I need to give a special thank you to my lovely friends at Memorial University, specifically Yellow and Courtney. They single-handedly printed, collected signatures, and mailed 643 letters to the Minister of Health of New Brunswick. I am so grateful for my amazing support system and group of friends that I made during my year at MUN.

The holiday season is all about giving and all of you have given me the best gift possible, your support. Whether it’s by signing a letter, stopping by to say hello and chat, or sending me a message saying you’re thinking of me, your support is invaluable. This year has, undeniably, been a tough one and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing family and friends. I hope someday to be able to give back to each of you what you have given to me.

So, to those who have sent me gifts and flowers and beautiful cards, to those who gave me the gift of their time by visiting with me in the hospital or sending me a nice message, to those who have supplied me with endless reading materials, to those who have helped me smile and laugh on my toughest days, to those who are helping me get my body and life back, to those who have stuck with me through this crazy journey, to those who offer me their support day-in and day-out, I just want to say…

Thank you.