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A Sickening Reality
They are dying from meningitis, right here in New Brunswick. We’re all familiar with the disease, but for clarification, it is a bacterial infection that be easily contracted and becomes dangerous when it gets into your bloodstream. It can lead to brain damage, stroke, or even death. It’s easy to treat, mainly with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. BUT…
This small community right here in New Brunswick has seen people die from this, and at an alarming rate! Here is why this is so maddening:
Because they do not live within the service area of the nearest hospital (in this case it is Campbellton Regional) because of a current dispute between the NB government and the Canadian Association of Pharmaceutical Dispensary Providers, they are not permitted to receive these drugs at said hospital. They have to travel to, get this… Halifax, Nova Scotia! A 5½ hour drive to get treatment!
Because of said dispute, the ambulance isn’t permitted to transport them either. That is, unless the people affected can afford to pay the exorbitant fee that comes with it.
Yes, the community is closer to Quebec, but the restrictions to their medicare system will also not allow for this.
Add to this that travelling long distance in a vehicle while infected with meningitis can accelerate the chance of a stroke! Meningitis affects the spinal cord and sitting for long periods of time in a moving vehicle is like running a marathon with a broken ankle.
… most families find it very hard to travel away from home at all because it involves taking a ferry. You probably haven’t been on this ferry because it costs $148 per person!
Right now, 6% of the residents of that community have meningitis. And remember, it’s highly contagious!
Just last month a sweet little 3-year-old suffered for weeks after contracting meningitis. Her mom worked full-time to provide for the two of them and saved enough money to make the trip to Halifax. Her name was Abigail and she survived, but the brain damage was so severe she may never be able to walk, speak, or eat on her own for the rest of her life. Here is a picture of her two weeks before the illness set in.
Just down the road from her a 75-year-old man had scraped a little nest egg from his pension cheque for a trip to see his grandkids. He decided he’d have to travel instead to Halifax but he died before he could get a chance to leave.
When a group of Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John residents were asked about this, 65% of them said that these folks should have moved away from there a long time ago. Only 22% said that they were prepared to attend a one-time, one-hour meeting on what they could do to help.
I hope you are angry when reading this. I hope it incenses you and inspires you to do something about it. You have a voice. Use it and help put a spotlight on this senseless problem. A problem that has no reason to exist in New Brunswick, or anywhere in Canada. Imagine, children dying because a bunch of people sitting in offices can’t decide what to do to fix it, and because people who can help simply don’t care to.
Oh, by the way, this isn’t happening in New Brunswick. It’s happening in Nunavut. And it’s not meningitis, it’s tuberculosis—another easily preventable and curable disease. Children dying is true, though the pic of the little white girl is just a stock photo from Flickr’s photo sharing website.
I hope this still angers you. It does, right?
And now, to movies…
Congratulations . This is your week.
Best Actress:
Marilyn Monroe as “the girl” in . If she was alive today she’d be 92.
Best Actor: Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood in
Best Quote: “Hey! Hey, youse guys, look. Poor Nutsy is takin’ the long walk.” — Toughy in
This weekend is the flea market here in Sussex. Every year I go and get new movies because a vendor there has the best selection to choose from aside from Sunshine Records. This year, however, I will be abstaining. We are trying to reach some financial goals and the flea market will be back next year. This weekend I’ll enjoy the collection I already have. 🙂
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