Help Laura Rebuild After Sudden Loss and Health Setbacks

Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to you in a time of dire need, as I find myself facing overwhelming challenges that have left me in a state of financial, mental, and physical distress and uncertainty.

In January 2023, I experienced a sudden and significant relationship loss within my blended family, which brought about immense emotional turmoil. Despite this setback, I resolved to move forward with resilience and determination.

In June 2023, I embarked on a heartfelt endeavor to establish The Pelvic Health Centre (TPHC) by Laura Werner Physiotherapy in Oak Bay. The vision was clear: to create a safe and trauma-informed space for healing, rooted in inclusion, diversity, compassion, kindness, and community. I poured my heart and soul into this venture, dedicating countless hours to provide a supportive environment where all individuals could feel valued and comfortable, freeing the energy necessary to facilitate learning and growth. My associates and I took a pessary fitting course and I outfitted the clinic with the equipment necessary for pessary fitting and sterilization [pessaries are medical-grade devices worn in the vagina to help with symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. The current wait time to be seen and fit by a gynecologist on the south Island is ~1-1.5 years]. There were about 3 months where I slept ~4 hours/night because of all I had to do with opening and running a business with 2 associates and multiple front desk staff, continuing to be a practitioner to my clients, and running a household with 3 kiddos.

However, after just three months of operation, TPHC faced insurmountable challenges and was deemed unsustainable. The closure of the center left me grappling with a staggering financial debt of approximately $90,000, alongside the emotional distress of having to relocate my practice and notify my clients.

To compound matters, I encountered further hardship when my housing landlord abruptly increased my rent by $650 per month, rendering my living situation untenable (much higher than what BC Residential Tenancy allows, but it was either that or renoviction). With no spousal or child support from my co-parent, I faced the difficult decision of relinquishing my role as the primary caregiver of my 3 kids for 6.5 years after the separation and subsequent divorce, and moving out of our family home, leaving me financially strained and emotionally drained.

Despite these challenges, I persevered and relocated my practice to Langford, scaling down to a solo operation. However, the relentless demands of running a private practice without the safety net of sick leave or vacation pay took a toll on my health. Recently, I am in the process of receiving a diagnosis of autoimmune illness (where the immune system malfunctions and mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissues, and organs and these attacks can affect any part of the body, weakening bodily function and even turning life-threatening), prompting my doctor to advise immediate cessation of work until the end of April at minimum.

Tragically, on March 17th, I was forcibly evicted from the home I had been living in since October 2023 by the Military Police, leaving me effectively unhoused and exacerbating my stress levels resulting in decreases in both my mental and physical health. I have had the greatest experience with CLCR (Community-Led Crisis Response Team, I cannot recommend them enough!).

In the face of these adversities, I have applied for and been accepted for income assistance from the province ~$1000/month. I do not qualify for federal EI. I am applying for Person with Disabilities (PWD) and Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers (PPMB), which if I qualify will bring in about ~$450/month. I am looking into all other forms of income assistance available. I have ~$5850 in debt + child support payments/month (this is NOT including daily living expenses), leaving me in a significant shortfall. I am reaching out to my community for financial help as I am unable to work at this time because I am sick.

I am humbly reaching out to my community for support during this tumultuous time. Your generosity could make a world of difference, providing me with the financial stability needed to navigate these challenges and focus on rebuilding my health and livelihood.

Any contribution, no matter how small, would be deeply appreciated and will go directly towards alleviating my financial burden and securing basic necessities.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering my plea and for being a beacon of hope in my darkest hour.

With gratitude and warm regards,

Laura Werner (they/them)