Victoria Paramedic needs our help
Donation protected
UPDATE JUNE 2015: Denied again! WSBC has yet again denied Lisa her benefits, saying her triggering call was not "out of the normal" I say, how can someone sitting at a desk can determine what is "normal" in the mind of a paramedic with 24 years of service? Living on income assistance $610.00/mo a month means that without help Lisa will have no choice but to live in her car. She is still waiting to hear if she qualifies for PWD which is $900.00/mo - what would we do with $900 a month. Lisa is too proud to send this out herself. So as I started this, I will continue to do so. If not for the hardship this is now causing her landlords, they would continue to have Lisa stay there until WSBC sees the light. No amount is too small. Thank you
Teya Danel
UPDATE MARCH 2015: Lisa has been able to live in her home, eat healthy food and receive medical necessary to keep her injury under control for the past 5 mos. All of this because of the help and generosity of all of you. Unfortunately, Worksafe has still not made a decision on the Request for Review of her PTSD claim (they have until July) and she has now run out of all EI Benefits. The funds so generously donated by all of you have also run out. We hope to reach others who feel moved to financially help this selfless woman.
Lisa just absolutely LOVES HER JOB! She is the kind of paramedic you want when you're in a life-threatening situation. She's responsible, capable, has a huge heart and is full of compassion. Lisa and her caring paramedic colleagues work in highly stressful situations and are a huge blessing for people who find themselves in a life or health crisis!
She has taken her frustration and put it into a "grass roots" movement entiled "You are not alone". She is determined to help change WSBC's Legislation so that not one more First Responder has to endure the intense financial distress that dealing with WSBC causes. Lack of proper financial support deeply affects those committed men and women. Sadly, some of them choose suicide as they see no way out. Alberta has adopted this legislation, but in hindsight they know they need more.
As of January 2015, the statistics are as follows:
7 paramedics,
6 firefighters and
16 peacekeepers have committed suicide - and those are only the ones that have been reported.
Early treatment and benefits = early return to work = government savings big time $$$ - it's a win win! I'm sure we can all agree, that we don't want Lisa to become just another statistic.
UPDATE DECEMBER 2014
With the funds we've raised to date of $5805 - Lisa's rent was brought out of arrears and is paid until the end of Dec., she can now afford to put some food on her table and purchase required prescription medication. However, she is still very much behind in her financial affairs as she's been off work for 9 mos now...she still has a very long way to go in catching up financially and health wise! ....we have just managed to ease the tip of her $$ needs.
NOVEMBER 2014
On June 24, 2014, Lisa experiences a work-related incident that leaves her struggling with PTSD.....
Lisa is a Victoria resident and a hard working paramedic with over 24 years on the "front line" of emergency response care. She is a dedicated professional who now finds herself in a life threatening emergency situation.
It is not easy for Lisa to seek and receive help as her life mission revolves around helping unfortunate others in emergency situations. For some reason, that I cannot for the life of me understand, our system is failing her miserably as she is presently depressed, suicidal, and on the precipice of being "homeless".
Her story is such a sad reflection of how the government regulated benefits that are provided, are clearly not sufficient to cover even basic support in times of illness. I know, I have been there, and speak from personal experience! Our benefit program only provides her with 1/2 the money she needs to live on - it doesn't even cover her rent, let alone food!!!
Lisa truly cares about others and she goes the extra mile to aid our most vulnerable. She can sure use our help now, just as she has helped so many in our community. Please join me in supporting Lisa....she has fallen through the cracks and her need is urgent.
Lisa is a proud and private paramedic. It is not a choice for her to surrender to going public with her story. As for me, well, I feel so strongly compelled to help her that I've become her advocate as I cannot stand by and see such injustice perpetrated and not do anything about it....hence this appeal! Here is how her story unfolded:
* Lisa has been ill since June, 2014
* As a part-time employee working full-time hours, she does not qualify for employee benefits.
* WorkSafe denied her benefits in spite of the fact that she has been diagnosed with work related PTSD. Her line of work is intensely stressful and, undoubtedly, can easily lead to stress related illnesses over time. It is reasonable to expect that providing Lisa with WorkSafe benefits would have allowed her to recover from her temporary breakdown in health, both physical and emotional and return to the job she is so totally committed to.
Meanwhile, she is appealing the WorkSafe decision and that process, as some of us know, can take years. The awarding of these benefits would have changed everything and made life bearable for Lisa. It would have FULLY covered her while she worked hard to get better....
* She is experiencing symptoms of PTSD i.e. suicidal depression, flashbacks, night terrors and more, and these are hampering her efforts. In addition to all of this, the heavy duty meds she is on are affecting her ability to think clearly and contributing to her feelings of complete despair.
* She was behind in her rent and had to go to the food banks.
You and I can help this amazing woman regain her health and rejoin her co-workers; continuing on to help out our loved ones that may, heaven forbid, need help one day.
In her role as a paramedic, Lisa has devoted the majority of her adult years to caring for people in emergency situations. Let's extend our full support to her right NOW to help her get her back where she belongs.....in the ambulance, saving lives.....
Please reach generously into your pockets and donate
to Lisa's campaign appeal or, if you prefer, connect with her directly at [email redacted]. It would be shameful for us all to let this caring professional woman down at a time when she needs us most of all. No amount is too small!
Alot of our success will depend on how quickly we can share her story as it is crucial that it reaches as many people as possible in as short time as possible. The more people that know of her plight, the more funds we can provide for her. If we all post and spread her story far and wide, then, our financial goal to have Lisa taken care of will save her life in more ways than one.
We never know where support will be coming from ...so it’s imperative to keep doors wide open....
On behalf of Lisa, I thank you in advance for your donation. I believe that Together, we do make a huge difference in our world and in each others' lives and I would love this campaign for dear Lisa to reflect that...
Sincerely,
Teya Danel
November, 2014
Teya Danel
UPDATE MARCH 2015: Lisa has been able to live in her home, eat healthy food and receive medical necessary to keep her injury under control for the past 5 mos. All of this because of the help and generosity of all of you. Unfortunately, Worksafe has still not made a decision on the Request for Review of her PTSD claim (they have until July) and she has now run out of all EI Benefits. The funds so generously donated by all of you have also run out. We hope to reach others who feel moved to financially help this selfless woman.
Lisa just absolutely LOVES HER JOB! She is the kind of paramedic you want when you're in a life-threatening situation. She's responsible, capable, has a huge heart and is full of compassion. Lisa and her caring paramedic colleagues work in highly stressful situations and are a huge blessing for people who find themselves in a life or health crisis!
She has taken her frustration and put it into a "grass roots" movement entiled "You are not alone". She is determined to help change WSBC's Legislation so that not one more First Responder has to endure the intense financial distress that dealing with WSBC causes. Lack of proper financial support deeply affects those committed men and women. Sadly, some of them choose suicide as they see no way out. Alberta has adopted this legislation, but in hindsight they know they need more.
As of January 2015, the statistics are as follows:
7 paramedics,
6 firefighters and
16 peacekeepers have committed suicide - and those are only the ones that have been reported.
Early treatment and benefits = early return to work = government savings big time $$$ - it's a win win! I'm sure we can all agree, that we don't want Lisa to become just another statistic.
UPDATE DECEMBER 2014
With the funds we've raised to date of $5805 - Lisa's rent was brought out of arrears and is paid until the end of Dec., she can now afford to put some food on her table and purchase required prescription medication. However, she is still very much behind in her financial affairs as she's been off work for 9 mos now...she still has a very long way to go in catching up financially and health wise! ....we have just managed to ease the tip of her $$ needs.
NOVEMBER 2014
On June 24, 2014, Lisa experiences a work-related incident that leaves her struggling with PTSD.....
Lisa is a Victoria resident and a hard working paramedic with over 24 years on the "front line" of emergency response care. She is a dedicated professional who now finds herself in a life threatening emergency situation.
It is not easy for Lisa to seek and receive help as her life mission revolves around helping unfortunate others in emergency situations. For some reason, that I cannot for the life of me understand, our system is failing her miserably as she is presently depressed, suicidal, and on the precipice of being "homeless".
Her story is such a sad reflection of how the government regulated benefits that are provided, are clearly not sufficient to cover even basic support in times of illness. I know, I have been there, and speak from personal experience! Our benefit program only provides her with 1/2 the money she needs to live on - it doesn't even cover her rent, let alone food!!!
Lisa truly cares about others and she goes the extra mile to aid our most vulnerable. She can sure use our help now, just as she has helped so many in our community. Please join me in supporting Lisa....she has fallen through the cracks and her need is urgent.
Lisa is a proud and private paramedic. It is not a choice for her to surrender to going public with her story. As for me, well, I feel so strongly compelled to help her that I've become her advocate as I cannot stand by and see such injustice perpetrated and not do anything about it....hence this appeal! Here is how her story unfolded:
* Lisa has been ill since June, 2014
* As a part-time employee working full-time hours, she does not qualify for employee benefits.
* WorkSafe denied her benefits in spite of the fact that she has been diagnosed with work related PTSD. Her line of work is intensely stressful and, undoubtedly, can easily lead to stress related illnesses over time. It is reasonable to expect that providing Lisa with WorkSafe benefits would have allowed her to recover from her temporary breakdown in health, both physical and emotional and return to the job she is so totally committed to.
Meanwhile, she is appealing the WorkSafe decision and that process, as some of us know, can take years. The awarding of these benefits would have changed everything and made life bearable for Lisa. It would have FULLY covered her while she worked hard to get better....
* She is experiencing symptoms of PTSD i.e. suicidal depression, flashbacks, night terrors and more, and these are hampering her efforts. In addition to all of this, the heavy duty meds she is on are affecting her ability to think clearly and contributing to her feelings of complete despair.
* She was behind in her rent and had to go to the food banks.
You and I can help this amazing woman regain her health and rejoin her co-workers; continuing on to help out our loved ones that may, heaven forbid, need help one day.
In her role as a paramedic, Lisa has devoted the majority of her adult years to caring for people in emergency situations. Let's extend our full support to her right NOW to help her get her back where she belongs.....in the ambulance, saving lives.....
Please reach generously into your pockets and donate
to Lisa's campaign appeal or, if you prefer, connect with her directly at [email redacted]. It would be shameful for us all to let this caring professional woman down at a time when she needs us most of all. No amount is too small!
Alot of our success will depend on how quickly we can share her story as it is crucial that it reaches as many people as possible in as short time as possible. The more people that know of her plight, the more funds we can provide for her. If we all post and spread her story far and wide, then, our financial goal to have Lisa taken care of will save her life in more ways than one.
We never know where support will be coming from ...so it’s imperative to keep doors wide open....
On behalf of Lisa, I thank you in advance for your donation. I believe that Together, we do make a huge difference in our world and in each others' lives and I would love this campaign for dear Lisa to reflect that...
Sincerely,
Teya Danel
November, 2014
Organizer
Teya Danel
Organizer
Victoria, BC
