This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

NOW WE CAN MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD!!!

Polititians need to know that there are about 75,000 Canadians with MS.
Most of us are of voting age.
Most of us have family and friends who vote.

Here is a sample letter which I have sent to my MP today and a similar version I sent to my MLA and to Adrian Dix who is the NDP Provincial Health Critic and is running for leadership of the Party.

Please feel free to use this as a template, to cut and paste, or to post this anywhere you may feel it may assist people to send a letter.

SAMPLE LETTER TO MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

Hello Again Libby:

Since we have last met, the body of evidence supporting the fact that a vast majority of persons with Multiple Sclerosis have serious vascular problems, which can be safely and effectively treated with angioplasty has been steadily growing. Sadly people in Canada are unable to benefit from this research.

I was fortunate enough to manage to save enough of my long term disability income and life savings to manage a trip to Mexico for diagnosis and a trip to Melbourne, Australia for treatment. My quality of life is improved. Sadly there is no follow up monitoring available to me in my own country. Sadly most of the 75,000- persons in Canada with MS cannot afford trips overseas for medical care, and so they continue to sustain irreversible brain injury as time passes.

I am a long term NDP supporter, and admire the work that you have done addressing the issues of poverty, human rights and the labour movement and the preservation of our health care system.

As you are aware, the health care system that Canadians value so highly has been letting those of us with Multiple Sclerosis down.

Your party has not confronted the government regarding this ongoing travesty. I have copied you on my correspondence with the Minister of Health. The only person who has made a clear and consistent effort on behalf of those of us with MS in Canada is Kirsty Duncan. I am well aware that she has made all of the published research available to parliament. While I have never been a Liberal supporter, I have been moved to writer to the head of her party to congratulate him on her effort and dedication.

Please let me know what you and your party are doing to quickly halt the discrimination which is denying people with MS much needed access to vascular medical care in Canada.

SAMPLE LETTER TO PROVINCIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Hello Again Adrian:

Since we have last met, the body of evidence supporting the fact that a vast majority of persons with Multiple Sclerosis have serious vascular problems, which can be safely and effectively treated with angioplasty has been steadily growing. Sadly people in Canada are unable to benefit from this research.

I was fortunate enough to manage to save enough of my long term disability income and life savings to manage a trip to Mexico for diagnosis and a trip to Melbourne, Australia for treatment. My quality of life is improved. Sadly there is no follow up monitoring available to me in my own country. Sadly most of the 75,000- persons in Canada with MS cannot afford trips overseas for medical care, and so they continue to sustain irreversible brain injury as time passes.

I am a long term NDP supporter, and admire the work that you have done addressing the issues of poverty, human rights and the labour movement and the preservation of our health care system.

As you are aware, the health care system that Canadians value so highly has been letting those of us with Multiple Sclerosis down. I have copied you on my correspondence with the office of the provincial minister of health, in which I was informed that they are accepting advice from the neurological section of the medical association of BC with regard to this vascular health issue. My subsequent letter expressing alarm regarding this oddity, and asking that they consult vascular specialists for advice regarding vascular health care, was not answered.

Your party has not confronted the government regarding this ongoing travesty.

Please let me know what you and your party are doing to quickly halt the discrimination which is denying people with MS much needed access to vascular medical care in British Columbia and across Canada.

Phone your friends! Email your friends! Twitter them! Here is something I sent to an expat:

"I am appealing to you, because you may be able to help. So what can you do for me? Please ask every Canadian you know to vote Liberal, and to ask every Canadian they know to vote Liberal, and so on, and so on.

Why? Let's just say it is a matter of life and death. I know that sounds hokey, but it's not, and if you really want to know more, just ask. I would not be at all surprised if you didn't -- I certainly don't. I only know because I can't help it. If not, if you just want to take my word for it, or even if you wish I would just go away, please, please, do it anyway. Thanks."

_________________
"Try - Just A Little Bit Harder" - Janis Joplin
CCSVI procedure Albany Aug 2010
'_MS' is over - if you want it
Patients sans/without patience

Hello 1eye:

The Liberal party has not made any statement regarding their stance on making vascular testing or treatment available to persons with MS. There have been no promices made by any political party regarding the issue.

Kirsty Duncan has done a lot of great work to raise the issue and to represent our best interests, but many of her Liberal associates are not on board.

Please engage your federal and provincial representatives and the candidates from all parties at every opportunity.

Make sure they have information about the issue and ask each one what their position is.

Then decide where your vote should go.

Great sample letters, Brightspot, I agree that this is worth doing.

Hey,

I realize everybody has their own political preferences. I also realize promises seem to dematerialize easily when the money has finished changing hands. The one factor in all this I feel that is something of a guarantee if such can be said to exist, is the tenaciousness of Dr. Duncan, who has, as we know, what always counts more: a personal agenda. If anything can hold anybody to a promise either of federally-funded national clinical trials or of a wide-open payment for the venoplasty procedures for CCSVI on provincial health insurance formularies, likely both, it will be her.

She does keep busy even with that, as you can see on her web pages, which are full of stuff targeted at people who have heard of neither 'MS' nor CCSVI. So it might take her a minute or two.

I have my own political leanings. While my father always voted Liberal come hell or high water, I never have. Never voted Communist, either. This election is very different, for me. I will do all I can for the Liberal party, give them money, time, applause, whatever it takes. I realize there are other Canadians who have a lot of other issues, and to me, the human race is in as much danger from the misbehaviour of Canadian politicians as anything else, short of nuclear war.

Politics and economics being so heavily influenced by what you want, and what you need, I don't expect to be able to change a lot of votes. I will try. I will also be at those debates at the old Ottawa train station. I expect to hear what we all want to hear.

Also: I put a couple of web links in my email to my expat friend. So, just for 'fun' I watched the W5 show again (I don't think I need to watch Kirsty Duncan again; I practically have it memorized). It is interesting after all that has gone on, to see those people again: Dr. Zamboni, Avis Favoro, Dr. Haacke, and not least Jeff (on piano and trumpet) and Cheerleader! The Italian patient, the tennis player, who influenced my own son. Worth seeing again.

_________________
"Try - Just A Little Bit Harder" - Janis Joplin
CCSVI procedure Albany Aug 2010
'_MS' is over - if you want it
Patients sans/without patience