Sarnia mom diagnosed with cancer desperate to get daughter with complex needs into group home
CBC
For months, Ann Marie McColl has been trying to move her daughter, who has complex medical needs, into a full-time care home. But last week, the family's situation became more urgent.
McColl, who is a single mom, was diagnosed with breast cancer last Tuesday and will have to undergo surgery and radiation. Since she is her daughter's only caregiver, she's desperate to ensure that the 20-year-old will have someone to look after her.
"Now more than ever, I need to know that she's going to be OK, because if [my cancer has] spread, then where is my daughter going to go? The unknown is so scary," McColl said through tears.
"If my health is not in a good space, then obviously [my daughter] is stuck, she won't have anybody."
The family says its been waiting since March to get approval from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for funding that will allow McColl's daughter to move into a home that provides around the clock care.
McColl says their first application was sent in just before the pandemic began.
WATCH: McColl talks about her worries for her daughter
McColl says her daughter has multiple mental health and developmental issues, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from an incident that happened when she was younger.
Most recently, she says her daughter was diagnosed with Addison's Disease.
The illness, according to John Hopkins Medicine, impacts the hormone cortisol which helps break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates in the body. It also controls blood pressure and affects how the immune system functions.
She says her daughter often forgets to take her medication and needs someone to provide her with 24.7 care.
But despite filing multiple applications to the government, McColl says she has yet to hear back or know if their application is being reviewed.
Since finding out her diagnosis, McColl says she has had Sarnia-Lambton member of provincial parliament Bob Bailey send a letter up to the ministry urging them to prioritize her case.
In an email to CBC News, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) said that people "determined most at risk are prioritized for available resources."
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