A Child caught between 2 government offices is driving this mom more then a little crazy as my Canadian daughter is being refused an Ontario Health Card, even though she has lived in this province most of her life. I have had to resort to spending cash every time she needs to see the doctor but now she needs a hospital bed, and Rachel sits at home, untreated and undiagnosed. Really it is a mother’s worst nightmare, not being able to get your child the help they need.
Back in 2004 they did issue Rachel a one year card, during that time I was to get her citizenship card. We had a fire, ID was lost. Because of 911, laws and rules around ID changed both here and in the United States where Rachel was born. I was able to replace her birth certificate that listed me as her mom but not her SSN card. I have her immunization records, I have her school records, I get the Canada Tax Credit for her every month but I do not have enough ID to get the Citizenship card as I can not take her across the border to acquire the necessary second piece. She is not 16 she has no photo ID. She has no passport. AS all require 2 pieces of ID, I only have 1, the one that lists me the Canadian as her mother(thus she is born with automatic Canadian citizenship). Without the card now, the province refuses to issue Rachel a health card. I am literally a mom caught between 2 government offices, trying to get my daughter what she needs. She needs the care of a specialist, this has been determined by the crisis team that visited my home last week from Youthdale. Rachel is on their priority list for a bed in their program, but she can not get that bed without a health card.
What would you do if you could not get your child healthcare? Have you thought about it at all? Healthcare is something we even give refugees coming into Canada, but here the child of a Canadian who can’t get her daughter help. Does that seem right? If anyone knows how I can get Rachel her cards I would appreciate the assistance. I HAVE been battling this for years, I am appealing now the the General Manager who over sees health cards, but due governmental policy it is likely Rachel will once again be refused until I get her citizenship card, and that process could take months when she needs health care now. Suggestions? What would you do if your child needed expensive healthcare? Rachel needs to be assessed properly and she needs a hospital bed to do so. I am a mom at the end of my rope. What would you do? I am simply appealing and once again writing URGENT letters and praying she stays stable while we wait.
* happy ending to this story
A reader of this post, a MPP’s assistant, pointed the Ministry of Health’s Kingston office to my blog post. Sue Graham read it. She is now my new BFF as within 30 minutes of me faxing Rachel’s birthcertificate, and other supporting ID, I had Rachel health card number in my hand. She is mailing Rachel’s actual card, but as of 10 am this morning Rachel has health coverage. So now the wait for the priority bed, which should take a week or two.
