LymeMom ACTION needed! Canadian Lyme Families/Stories of Children with Lyme

ACTION needed!  Canadian Lyme Families/stories of children with Lyme.  Please note, the deadline for this initiative is one week away - December 13, 2017 - details below.
 
LymeHope has a meeting scheduled on Dec 21 with MP Marilyn Gladu (Shadow Minister of Health for the Conservative Party). Mrs. Gladu has been extremely supportive of our efforts and we look forward to having the opportunity to now meet with her face to face. She has generously allotted one hour with us and we believe this meeting will further solidify a productive working relationship towards meaningful change for all.
 
We also look forward to a meeting with MP Lisa Raitt in the New Year.  We were honoured that Lisa, attended and briefly spoke at our LymeHope November 3rd event and shared from her heart, she also expressed her support in Ottawa on behalf of Lyme sufferers. On July 20, 2017, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer named Lisa as deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Official Opposition.  Here is a link to an article which covered our event and her words of support.  https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/7920182-those-with-lyme-disease-deserve-more-attention-oakville-forum/
 
We have also reached out to the Minister of Health the Honorable Ginette Petitpas Taylor as we would like to personally meet with her to continue where we left off with the former Health Minister Jane Philpott – whereby Minister Philpott had shared that she wanted her office to be involved and to move forward in a collaborative partnership alongside the Public Health Agency of Canada.  We truly look forward to meeting with Minister Taylor and have not yet heard back from her office regarding our request.
 
We continue to receive emails and phone-calls almost daily - stories of what families have to go through to access care for their children with Lyme – whether as a result of an acute bite or kids with chronic infection.  There are many families who believe that congenital transmission is the root of their kid’s health issues.
 
This ongoing devastation, lack of treatment, denial of care, parents having to go to different doctors to access the care that they need - continues to move us to tears – the suffering and struggle continues all across Canada.  As we continue to be confronted with this growing crisis – we must stand together.  Our collective tears and disbelief over how this could be happening here in Canada – moves us to once again, taking action and continuing to share our stories and speak out – united together. 
 
LymeMoms and Lyme families continue to hold onto Hope for their children’s futures in the midst of so much fear, worry and uncertainty.   We must collectively continue to trust that change will happen as we keep speaking out and pushing forward – with persistence, perseverance, respect and courage – despite the obstacles we face.   We will overcome!
 
The ACTION:  This is where you come in.  If you have a child/youth struggling with Lyme and would be willing to share your family's/child’s story in a brief letter, we would like to share these letters directly with 1) MP Marilyn Gladu, 2) MP Lisa Raitt and 3) Federal Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor. 

• Please give us express permission/consent to keep copies to share with other politicians and changemakers if you choose to do so. 

​We will read these letters and print these letters off – just as we did for our Lyme Letters Campaign. 
We will be sending these letters via FedEx to the respective recipients.
 
Our deadline:  December 13th which is only one week away. 
 
Please share your feelings of helplessness, Mother's agony, the disparagement of the medical system towards you and your child, lack of support and your child's current quality of life, your truth and journey has a tremendous impact on these officials. If you are or believe to be a Congenital Family, please be sure to include this critical piece of information. If you have any reservations around using your full name, please feel free to use first names only.
 
Letters can be emailed to: lymeletterscanada@gmail.com
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We will confirm we have received your letter and thankyou for your consideration of this important initiative in the midst of the busyness of the Christmas season and we will keep you updated on the outcome. 

If you have not yet signed our Ticking Lyme Canadian Petition - please join over 52,000 others who have signed.  Please sign, comment and share!  And if you click on the updates button - you will receive petition updates on important news related to Lyme disease in Canada. https://www.change.org/p/minister-petitpas-taylor-ticking-lyme-bomb-in-canada-fix-canada-s-lyme-action-plan-now

We also want to share that we have started a new FB support group which is expressly for Canadian LymeMom’s – who have kids suffering/struggling with Lyme.  If you are interested in joining, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/304317876641019/

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