Donate to help Carole (Desormeaux) Lacasse

Our very dear sister Carole is 60 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer this past Christmas. Since then, she underwent a mastectomy on May 4th, 2022. Further testing found that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes requiring a subsequent surgery to remove them. She has now begun her 5 months of chemotherapy treatments which will be followed by radiation treatments. She has a long road ahead of her in order to beat this disease and will not be able to return to work for some time.

As a result of her treatments, her son had to shave her head because of the loss of hair. Her brother and sister-in-law have been staying with her these past few months to help her because she is often weak and sick to her stomach. She also suffers from insomnia because of her health and financial worries. Both her sons and myself have also been there when at all possible during our work schedules.

Carole is a personal care worker who is devoted to her clients and her profession. For those of you who know her, you know that she is an extraordinary person. She is cheerful, loving and unbelievably strong and selfless, always putting her family and clients first. She started her career late in life because after raising her children, she became the principal caregiver for her sick parents for 5 years caring for them in their home until they passed.

Our sister is unable to work at the moment and being single she does not have anyone to lessen the financial burden at home. Her place of work does not have short or long-term benefits. The benefits that she does have, she has to pay the monthly premium and is currently charging it to her credit card because she can’t afford to lose them. These benefits do not fully cover all of her medications needed to treat her cancer. Her chemotherapy drug alone costs $1,000 per treatment of which she has to pay $200. We always thought chemotherapy was covered by OHIP, but not all drugs are. CCAC has been supportive up to a certain point, but is still not covering at a 100 percent.

Her case worker has explored all possible venues for Carole, but she is a case that falls between the cracks and she is not eligible for any government programs. Some programs that she may qualify for can take up to 6 months or more to receive approval.

Since she has no short or long-term disability, she went on employment insurance sick benefits, however, this is only available for 15 weeks and have come to an end; she is not even close to completing her cancer treatments. She did not ask to have this cancer. She has reached out to both our provincial and federal MP’s. They tried to be helpful and supportive, but every suggestion given did not help alleviate my sister’s financial woes. She was told that until the federal government finally passes the extension of EI sick benefits (a promise they made in both the 2021 and 2022 budgets), there is nothing they can do. This was supposed to happen this summer or this fall, but there is no announcement as of yet. In the meantime, Carole has no money coming in whatsoever, not until she can get well and return to work.

My heart aches to see my sister cry to the fact that she wants to get better so that she can return to work, return to her clients, return to what she loves most, helping others.

When Carole was able to work as a PSW, she gave her all to her clients. She has received letters of praise and thank you from her clients and their families in appreciation of her work and the fact that she would go beyond the call of duty for them. She is the person that would get a cup of coffee and bring one to the homeless person begging at the end of the street. Now in her time of need, we can only hope that these acts of kindness will be paid forward to her.

When you are diagnosed with cancer, this on its own is extremely stressful. Having to worry about making ends meet financially as well, has caused our sister to spend endless nights crying and worried sick about the financial hardship that she is facing on a daily basis. She is unable to focus on getting better when she can’t pay her rent.

Now is the time that Carole needs our helping hand. It is not her nature to ask for anything, and so we are asking for her. Please, whatever you can donate will be truly appreciated. Please spread the word.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and especially from Carole herself.