Hi Everyone! My name is Christina and on Mother's Day this year I discovered a symptom of breast cancer. On June 17 I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, and have been since undergoing life saving treatment. 
 
On August 13 I underwent a lumpectomy with sentinal lymph node dissection, and on Oct 31 I underwent a bilateral mastectomy. 
 
Dan and I have always prepared as best we can for "rainy days" and when I was diagnosed this year I put through a claim for disability for my mortgage insurance. We moved to a beautiful property on the water in Wallaceburg in June of 2024 and have always carried insurance for these unforseen circumstances since going through the disability process with Dan at General Dynamics in 2018. 
 
What we did not see coming was Canada Life not only declining my claim for insurance, but cancelling my mortgage insurance all together (for reasons unrelated to cancer). I have contacted lawyers to see what we can do as this decision was made in bad faith, but for the amount the lawyers would need to work on my case I would need a heck of a retainer, or be going after them for over $200,000 so they can get their cut, and I will only be off for around a year with this so the finances isn't adding up. I appealed this decision internally with Canada Life and my appeal was declined. I am in the process of appealing this with the government but this all takes time and energy. 
 
During all of this I am undergoing surgeries, and with that I have had some unexpected costs that are difficult to budget for. To promote wound healing my surgeon referred me to Hyperbolic Oxygen Therapy to prevent necrosis post surgery. This is only available in Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo and Toronto. To get this treatment I have to stay in the area or commute daily for treatment. My treatment plan is currently at 10 days travel. This is not available any closer to home. 
 
The cancer society does not see this as active cancer treatment so It is not covered for the wheels of hope program or for their funding. There are some other avenues I am looking into with Wellspring and other grants, but they require a nurse or social worker to refer those applications and I have a newer surgeon that doesn't seem to understand scheduling a patient for 500km of travel a day for 10 days post surgery can be financially challenging. It is amazing to me to be a cancer patient and yet not meet the criteria for support as a cancer patient. Not needing chemo was a blessing. Getting my mastectomies spared me from radiation. And yet, here I am, not a cancer patient for the most basic of support one can request: travel support. 
 
We are making the majority of these trips with our 20 year old vehicle, and leaning heavily on friends and family to support with our daughter and dog so I can heal the best I can. 
 
I am not one to ask for anything and really do try to remain positive throughout it all. So many of you have applauded my strength and courage and with cancer you don't really have a choice. It is hard, and dealing with insurance companies and navigating the mess that is Ontario Health care isn't easy and has almost replaced my full time job at this point. I am trying to manage all this coordinating and planning and coorespondance while healing from surgery, coparenting Josi and spending 8+ hours a day in travel and treatment. 
 
Life continues to throw us curve balls with appliances and our vehicle needing repair and replacement. We just had to replace our lemon of a 15 month old washer out of pocket the same week our 1 year old dishwasher started throwing error codes and not washing the dishes. We continue to be in the line of fire and are struggling to get a break. 
 
If you have any spare coffee money to help with these travel costs this week any amount helps and is appreciated. I am slipping through the cracks and struggling to find financial support for the treatment I have been prescribed as the cancer society doesnt see it as active cancer treatment. The unforseen symptom of cancer really is debt. You can plan for rainy days, but at any point in time your safety net can fail. We are barely keeping our heads above water and depleting any savings we had very fast. 
 
This is part of the reason I continue to share all I can with you about this journey. There is so much I did not realize is involved with this process of diagnosing, treating and recovering from cancer. I have learned a lot about how I can support others when they go through this hell. If you have any extra to spare I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the help. 
 
God bless xoxo

Gillian Jackson

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Chrissy's Travel Fund

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