A father, who has suffered from multiple sclerosis for about ten years, fights the government to have his wife recognized as a caregiver while he deals with the disease and symptoms as he pleases.
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“I always had only one rule: ‘My illness, my period.’ There was no way to cure me, no way to change my situation, I wanted to live it as I wished and as I wished,” said Benjamin Gérard, Témiscamingue’s father for 47 years.
Through the microphone of Benoit Dutrezac on QUB Radio, Mr. Girard confirmed that he refuses to move in a wheelchair or a walker, and insists on continuing to walk despite the pain.
No chair, no credit?
Considered disabled by the government, he would not be sufficiently disabled for his partner to benefit from caregiver status, as well as the assistance that comes with it.
“She's the one who does everything […]“Especially teenagers lead fairly normal lives, but because I chose not to sit in an armchair for the rest of my days, I was judged to be able to carry out all daily tasks.”
The couple no longer benefits from loans granted by the government, which recently asked them for several thousand dollars.
“The criteria changed and we learned that I was no longer eligible and that I was not disabled enough for my partner to be eligible for the tax credit, so they were charging me several thousand dollars,” he added.
However, the symptoms that Mr. Gerard suffers from prevent him from living his normal life.
“I don't work anymore, I'm considered [comme] He explained: “I gave up my driver's license, and there is no longer any big task at home that I can do. My partner is the one who takes care of everything. I am at home. It is a bit like early retirement.” .
The family is waiting for the Ministry of Revenue to respond after it objected to the amount of money it is requesting, but without much hope of winning its case.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a “chronic autoimmune disease that targets the central nervous system,” according to MS Canada. Because this system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, MS can cause problems with vision, memory, balance, and movement.
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with more than 90,000 people estimated to have the disease.
