Journey to Healing: Help Support Jessica's Surgery

My name is Christine or Borgel to Jessica and her family. I have been friends with Jessica for 20 years. We serendipitously met when she was just a child while I visited family in the valley; not knowing at that time that we would become family ourselves. When we started college together in 2004, she was a young 18-year-old just starting her career and I was making a career change. Despite our age gap, I would say in many ways Jessica has been an incredible role model for me, her two young daughters, and others in her life. Throughout our 20 year-friendship, I have learned and admired so much about her. Jessica's strength, determination, motivation, and integrity are exceptional. I cannot recall a time where she has ever backed down from a challenge or seized an opportunity to stand up for what is right, including her most recent experience with the collapsing Nova Scotia health care system.

Jessica first started experiencing concerning health symptoms almost 3 years ago. After finding no relief, she consulted her family doctor and a referral was sent to a gynecologist. Time passed and her symptoms began to worsen. She went back to her family doctor several times over the next 2 years while she waited patiently to see a specialist. During each visit, her doctor failed to advocate for her and simply said the referral was still pending. Finally, after over two years of waiting and her symptoms worsening, she had her first appointment with the gynecologist. The gynecologist determined she needed an urgent hysterectomy. Unfortunately, her consulting specialist did not perform surgery, so Jessica needed a referral to a surgical gynecologist. Her condition quickly deteriorated and she became unable to work. She was in and out of the emergency room with debilitating pain. Over the past 5 months her life has been reduced to relying on the use of opioids to perform basic life tasks like showering or dressing; hormones to control bleeding; and being unable to do most typical daily tasks without enduring severe amounts of pain and needing support on a daily basis. Jessica is a fiercely independent woman, and anyone who knows her knows how challenging this has been. Those closest to her have watched her suffer and decline while fighting and advocating for herself within a broken health care system. Despite being triaged as urgent, her care continues to be delayed by several more months. I have seen the effect this has had on, not only Jessica, but her entire family over the past 5 months. Having appointments with health care professionals who continue to invalidate and dehumanize her and refuse to expedite the care she needs has taken its toll. Her two young daughters long to have their active, vibrant, and engaged mother back. Her partner feels helpless and frustrated watching her life be stripped away a day at a time. She is desperate to return to the healthy young woman and mother she is.

Jessica has exhausted every possible option to advocate for change and results within the health care system. She has made phone calls, engaged hospital management and patient feedback representatives, and even reached out to various politicians including the Premier of our Province. Her pleas for change and support have gone completely unanswered. This process has exhausted and discouraged her and her family further.

Due to the abysmal state of our health care system and being unable to get the care and support required, she has been forced into a position to seek more urgent care in another country. This certainly comes at a significant cost to her and her family. On June 13, Jessica and her partner, Kyle, will be travelling to Mexico in order for her to get the hysterectomy she needs in order to restore her quality of life.

Jessica and Kyle have been planning their wedding for summer of 2025. At this point, it is necessary that they use all of the money they have saved for that joyous life event to restore her health as well as accumulating a significant amount of debt.

I am asking you today to help me support this amazing family. As a community, we can ensure that Jessica is able to reclaim her life without having to sacrifice their wedding.

Please consider donating what you are able to help cover the cost of Jessica's surgery and expenses. Any amount helps. During these challenging economic times, if you are unable to donate please share this page. Jessica and her family deserve our help and support.

I know together we can help to show her and her family how much she is loved and supported.