Help Ella pay for emergency mental health care

 

Ella came to Canada as an international student from Nigeria in 2018.

 

Not long after, tragedy struck her family, resulting in her mother and siblings following Ella to Canada.

 

Ella’s mother, Paulina, was a successful lawyer in her home country. But she could no longer financially support her daughter in her education.

 

So, Ella began working while and attending school on a reduced course load, in order to continue her studies. The constant financial stress, emotional stress for her family, and maintaining her education, it all became too much for her to handle on her own.

 

On December 29th 2020, Ella was involuntarily admitted to hospital in Winnipeg due to a mental health crisis. During her nine day admission, Ella was assessed and treated by doctors. She was reassured that the cost would be covered by the government, as it was for others.

 

A month after leaving the hospital, Ella received a bill from the hospital for $38,331.

 

She was not eligible for public health insurance due to her student visa status at the time, and couldn't afford private coverage. Unable to pay, making a bad situation even worse, the hospital sent the bill to collections. Despite their best efforts, Ella and her family could do no more than watch her credit score and future aspirations of a better life in Canada deteriorate.

 

Her dreams have been put on hold, maybe indefinitely. The added financial stress to her, and her family, has been overwhelming. Ella's mother and siblings have lived in shelters since arriving in Canada, and knowing she could no longer go back to her home country safely has created a deep personal heartache.

 

Receiving a medical bill of nearly $40,000 - a bill for a service that she had no choice but to receive, and that was supposed to be helpful - it has made her question asking for help in the first place.

 

Ella should not have this burden.

 

Nobody in Canada, regardless of status, should be penalized, financially or otherwise, for receiving medically necessary treatment.

 

Please help us to at least reduce this stressful burden for this hardworking young woman and her family.