Woman in battle for out-of-province care confronts Houston at PC campaign kickoff
Jennifer Brady says she wants her struggle to receive medical coverage 'on his radar'
When Jennifer Brady heard Tim Houston would be kicking off the Progressive Conservative campaign close to her home, she took her questions to him in person.
The Halifax woman has lymphedema, a chronic disease that causes painful tissue swelling, and has been in a protracted legal battle with Nova Scotia's Health Department over reimbursement for medical care received out of province.
On Sunday, Brady confronted Houston during a media scrum at a party rally and pressed the PC leader to explain what he's doing for her and people in similar situations.
"I was hoping to put that on his radar as well so that longer term, no one else finds themselves in the situation that I have been in for the last four, nearly five years now," Brady, 46, said in an interview Monday at her home.
Houston expressed sympathy for Brady's predicament and admitted there is still work to do in health care. The pair spoke privately at the event Sunday and again by telephone on Monday.
PCs 'willing to make changes'
"We don't want any Nova Scotian suffering," the Progressive Conservative Party said in a statement.
"The policies for funded out-of-province services are made with clinicians and we have to rely on doctors in cases like this. Like our track record shows, we are willing to make changes if the policies are not working for Nova Scotians."
In recent years, Brady, a dietitian and occasional columnist for CBC Radio's Information Morning Halifax, remortgaged her home to pay for surgery in Japan that is unavailable in Nova Scotia. Without MSI coverage, she can't afford the ongoing care she needs to manage her disease.
There are no physicians who specialize in lymphedema in the province.
In September, CBC News reported on Brady's decision to apply for medical assistance in dying (MAID), two years after she filed a judicial review of the Health Department's refusal to cover her medical costs.
Final arguments were made in March and both parties are still waiting for a decision. If the court's decision is not in her favour, Brady said the provincial government has indicated it will seek costs for legal fees.
"So in addition to not helping me get treatment and actually actively blocking me from getting treatment, they're also bullying me and trying to prevent me from advocating for the treatment that I need," said Brady.
NDP, Liberals weigh in
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill and NDP Leader Claudia Chender have spoken to Brady previously. Both said her case is indicative of the poor state of the health-care system in the province.
"All people want in that situation is compassion from the government in action and know that the government is going to be there to save their lives, or at least do the very best to help them keep living," said Churchill.
Chender said Houston "should be aware of [Brady's] case and certainly shouldn't be fighting her to stop her from getting the health care that she needs."
"I think she's very brave and I think the situation is very sad," said Chender.
Brady said she is satisfied that Houston "seems now to be paying attention to the issue."
"But it has taken me so much time, effort to fight for that," she said. "It's absolutely exhausting. It feels like a full-time job at times."
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