A Richmond mom is running out of options to make sure her child who survived Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) can access much-needed medical care.
Michelle Paquette, 46, recently started a GoFundMe campaign after the family's vehicle was at risk of being repossessed by a bailiff, days before she has to drive her daughter to Edmonton.
"I'm sick to my stomach. Because if I don't get the help that I need, I don't know what I'm gonna do," she told the Richmond News.
The single mother of seven is a full-time caretaker for her four-year-old daughter Eleanor, who was left with complex medical and physical needs following her near-death experience, as well as her three other young children.
Due to long waitlists for medical care in B.C., the Paquettes have had to turn to Edmonton for Eleanor's much-needed care, which includes pediatric appointments and physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions.
But staying in Edmonton was not an option, Paquette told the News, as she does not qualify for disability in Alberta and had to return to B.C. to make sure she could access health benefits for herself and her children.
"It was really hard for my family to be forced to come back, knowing there's no doctors here," she said, adding that the family was forced to split up as some of them have stayed behind in Edmonton.
The Paquettes began making their regular cross-province trips after Eleanor's doctors assured them she was stable enough to move back to B.C., but things took a turn when Paquette's eldest son lost his job after a car accident last Christmas.
Due to the family's inability to pay the full down payment for the car, which they did not have to pay upfront, the car was seized on March 25.
To make matters worse, the family's $1800 Wonderfold wagon that Paquette sometimes uses to take Eleanor out, was also stolen from inside their apartment building last night, with the swimming gear discarded in the hallway.
"I don't have parents to ask for help. I don't have that luxury. I don't have extended family to ask for help, unfortunately, so it's hard on me," said Paquette, who added the stress has also resulted in her own health deteriorating.
The most urgent need at the moment, Paquette told the News, is to get the family's car back.
Without the car, the family currently has no way of getting to Edmonton by April 5 for Eleanor's next round of appointments, which will include a fitting for a wheelchair that will finally allow Paquette to take Eleanor out for walks.
"Eleanor doesn't have any equipment yet, so she does lay around all day. I can't take her for a walk, or use the transit system, as we're still waiting for her wheelchair," Paquette wrote in an update to her GoFundMe campaign.
She added Eleanor also needs "intensive rehabilitation," which helps with her breathing.
As a single mom, she also needs the vehicle for other daily needs such as taking her son, who has autism, to his therapy appointments, and for emergencies.
'She wasn't in good shape,' says Richmond mom
Paquette, who has been sharing her family's story over the years to advocate for families like her own, said Canada does not offer enough support.
"A lot of families that have a child with disabilities... we're not getting as much financial support as we should be. And a lot of us are struggling," she explained.
Paquette recently found herself having to apply for a grant from the U.S. to purchase a specialized wheelchair for Eleanor, and while she is receiving disability in B.C. for her own condition, she is also struggling to make ends meet while acting as Eleanor's primary care provider.
"As parents, we're the only ones that know our children best and many moms stay home and we don't get paid to stay home," she explained.
Paquette recalled her desperation when the family first arrived in Edmonton to seek help for Eleanor.
"It was not good. We didn't know if Eleanor was going to live or die," she said.
"She wasn't in good shape when we got there and I, as a mom, was just petrified. But I'm very grateful that we were able to find a pediatrician who specialized with children like my Eleanor and get us set up with the best of the best."
Eleanor and her twin Maxx were born in 2019. When she was just under a month old, she was found to be not breathing but was resuscitated by her eldest brother and the help of 911.
Paquette added she would never forget the advice she got from the pediatrician at the time.
"He said to me, 'You take her home, you keep her warm, you feed her and you love her,'" said Paquette.
Community members who have seen Paquette's black Wonderfold wagon, or those who would like to offer help but are unable to do so through GoFundMe, can contact Paquette at [email protected].
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