22-year-old P.E.I. stroke survivor left frustrated by denied EI claims

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — After struggling three strokes in late 2021, a Summerside girl is annoyed that it took 9 months for her EI declare to be accepted.

Earlier than her strokes, Madelyn Doucette, 22, was juggling full-time on-line faculty and work.

In September 2021, Doucette was working when she had her first stroke. Then, she felt it in her abdomen, accompanied by uneasiness and staggering.

After a visit to the emergency room, a CT scan uncovered a development in her pituitary gland, however nothing else, she mentioned, got here of the appointment. At that time, her signs had not been identified as having been attributable to a stroke.

“I simply sort of brushed it off,” mentioned Doucette, “like perhaps, I assume, it may be in my head.”

Two months later, she had one other stroke whereas driving, shedding motion on the left aspect of her physique; her automotive swerved over the yellow line.

After a second journey to the hospital, medical doctors believed she had – and handled her for – a number of sclerosis (MS).

By then, she was off work, and as a consequence of her well being, she determined she couldn’t proceed her research for the second.

She had her third stroke in mid-December, waking up on the twenty first with no imaginative and prescient in her proper eye.

Doucette was hospitalized till Jan. 1, 2022. It was at the moment that she realized that strokes, not MS, had brought on her signs.

“I used to be upset, for certain,” she mentioned. “When it occurred, they’d given me such little help and such little assist.”

Including to her stress, Doucette missed Christmas along with her terminally sick mom; she knew it might be their final vacation collectively.

“It’s heartbreaking,” mentioned Doucette, choking up. “Particularly as a result of my mom simply handed July 4. Having to placed on a courageous face for her, even, understanding that there’s a lot uncertainty with me, and wanting her to know that I’m OK earlier than she goes, was the toughest half.”

Influence of a stroke

Patrice Lindsay, director of well being techniques with the Coronary heart and Stroke Basis, mentioned that whereas problem talking or weak spot on one aspect of the physique are signs usually related to a stroke, there are additionally signs that overlap with different causes.

“Headache, stability points, dizziness, visible issues, like seeing double or blurred imaginative and prescient are indicators of a stroke, however they’re additionally indicators of a number of different circumstances,” mentioned Lindsay. “So, it’s tougher to make sure what’s behind that.”

Greater than 60 per cent of people that have strokes, Lindsay famous, require some kind of assist, after. She provides that anybody who experiences uncommon signs ought to search medical consideration immediately.

“Even folks with milder strokes might have some kind of rehabilitation afterwards however can typically get alongside pretty effectively,” mentioned Lindsay. “Folks with extra extreme strokes can require any diploma of help, that means they’ll’t do the whole lot on their very own anymore.”

Employment Insurance coverage struggles

On account of her situation, Doucette now has some mobility loss in her left arm, a limp and partial blindness in her proper eye.

Though she hopes to return to work quickly and return to class within the winter, she has discovered the previous a number of months difficult with out Employment Insurance coverage (EI).

“Actually, I’m sort of at some extent the place it’s like, what number of issues can occur in a yr?” mentioned Doucette.

Doucette had utilized for EI earlier than; this yr is the primary time she has ever encountered hurdles.

She couldn’t file for illness advantages as a result of she didn’t have a prognosis when she utilized after her second stroke. As a substitute, she filed it as she had beforehand.

“I don’t know if that is true, however they mentioned that my declare from the yr earlier than was nonetheless energetic,” mentioned Doucette. “Regardless, that’s like a clerical error on their half, and they need to have realized that.”

She appealed. After her third stroke, she started engaged on her second declare however mentioned she couldn’t get in contact with Service Canada.

On the finish of Might, Doucette’s household physician directed her to Bobby Morrissey’s workplace; Doucette hoped certainly one of his workers members may assist her kind out the scenario.

By mid-August, Doucette was no nearer to receiving EI than she had been that fall.

“It’s sort of ridiculous that EI’s set in place for people who find themselves sick and unable to work. For eight, 9 months, I’ve been with out as a result of the system will not be arrange proper.” – Madelyn Doucette

SaltWire Community had reached out to SkillsPEI and Bobby Morrissey’s workplace, each of which declined to remark.

On Aug. 19, Doucette took to social media, asking her pals to succeed in out to Morrissey’s workplace for her.

She mentioned she heard again by the tip of the day. On Aug. 23, she was assured the scenario could be resolved by the tip of the day, Aug. 24, and was ready to get the cash in her account.

Though Doucette now has religion that her EI woes will quickly be behind her, she feels annoyed and hopes no one else finds themself in an analogous scenario.

“It’s sort of ridiculous that EI’s set in place for people who find themselves sick and unable to work,” mentioned Doucette. “For eight, 9 months, I’ve been with out as a result of the system will not be arrange proper.”

Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. She may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @KristinGardiner.