Hi, friends. I've only shared this GoFundMe privately for the time being, but if it ends up shared with a supporter our family does not know personally, here is some info on our scenario below.

A friend asked if starting a GoFundMe would be a support to our family, and in true Britt fashion... I said I could do it myself. Please know I am awful at asking for support and hardly feel worthy of it. I know the internet can frequently demand our attention be pulled into many nightmarish areas.

So many in our community are currently struggling. With this being acknowledged, thank you so much for taking the time to read. <3

My name is Britt, and I’m a veteran spouse, part-time library service professional, freelance writer and photographer. Most of all, I'm a mom of two (Age 13 and 11 now!) trying to keep our family steady through a challenging season.

My husband Ethan, a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran, has recently been admitted for acute inpatient care due to a serious health crisis. While this step is necessary and hopeful, it follows a long year of doing everything we could to support his recovery at home.

Two years ago Ethan was medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces. Last June, I left my full-time career in military family support (MFRC) to support Ethan's physical & emotional rehabilitation program, once we realized the extent of his OSI (Operational Stress Injuries).

Since then, we’ve been living on reduced income in a fairly rural area. We knew that the prognosis of Ethan's rehabilitation program was likely to be unsuccessful, and we accepted him living with a permanent disability. But an urgent health crisis occurred last week. Without time to plan, myself and the kiddos are without Dad while he receives long-overdue care from professionals in-hospital.

At this time, Ethan's inpatient care means he is staying kilometres away from us for an unknown time period. I've taken time off work from my new part-time job to manage our rural home, the doggies, chickens and the kiddos. Unfortunately, my new part-time job does not provide paid sick leave, health insurance or paid vacation. Days off during emergencies mean lost income. Now with Ethan hospitalized, myself and the kids have been travelling to visit him -- arranging pet care, adjusting to the increases in gas, meals and getting essentials for Ethan to have in-hospital has stretched us thin. Recently, a vehicle accident on Highway 17 had our car in the shop for over two weeks, adding unexpected costs for a rental car and stress over the repair bill during an already overwhelming time.

I’ve tried to be the kind of person who finds a way, but right now I’m struggling to keep everything afloat. I’ve reached a point where I can’t do this alone. We help support our extended family members living on a senior widower’s income and ODSP, so we often don't have family around us with an ability to help.

Funds raised here will go toward:

I also want non-CAF families to know this:

I am continuing to advocate for support through Veterans Affairs, but despite leaving my career to become a full-time caregiver, our family has not qualified for any emergency assistance.

The criteria to meet the Caregiver Recognition Benefit (to support spouses who act as a health caregiver and advocate) is something most families won’t be eligible for until years of documented hospital stays are available.

The reality is that many families don’t meet the criteria for emergency support until years into crisis, and many families lose their Veteran's life before they receive support. I know our family is not alone in falling through programs gaps in this way.

If you are able to donate, it would mean more than I can put into words. Truly. Any bit counts and GoFundMe sets the suggested target at $10,000. But there are no hopes to reach this at all!

And if money is tight, I understand. I know firsthand just how far “simple” social support goes.

Other forms of support could look like:

I believe deeply in community, and I fully intend to pay kindness forward when we’re back on our feet. Thank you for reading, for caring, and for standing beside us during this time. We are so grateful.

With love and humility,

Britt & Family