Addressing Parliament (Sort Of)

“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.” - Dalai Lama

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by an old friend, Harry van Bommel about speaking at a Round Table meeting hosted by Michelle Simson, Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest. Michelle Simson heads up the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care. Those Members of Parliament who make up the committee have been hosting Round Table meetings across the country to hear the voices of Canadians who wish to say something about palliative and compassionate care in this country. Most of those who have spoken are members of health agencies or are health care professionals. I wasn't sure what I could contribute to the dialogue, but I wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to speak to a Parliamentary Committee so I accepted the invitation. This morning I made my presentation.

The Round Table was held at the Warden Woods Community Centre at Warden, south of St. Clair. There weren't a lot of people there but about thirty community members attended. Each round table speaker was granted twelve minutes in which to make a presentation. There were two separate groups. The first was comprised of health care workers and agency staff. The second, in which I was a member, was comprised of people who were addressing compassionate and palliative care issues from a more personal perspective. All presentations were recorded for submission to the committee and the recording will become a part of the Parliamentary record.

I was the second speaker in my group which started with a woman speaking about her experience as the mother of a fifteen year old son who committed suicide. She was very brave. As she became more emotional in her presentation, I watched the faces in the room. Most everyone was crying. I was trying hard to keep myself in check and trying hard to figure out a way to support her as she struggled to keep going. She gave us all a great deal to think about. When she was finished, it was my turn. I spoke of my experiences as a patient who dealt with breast cancer, my perceptions of the business challenges in dealing with critically ill workers and our need for sustainable funding in running Willow. Twelve minutes went by in a flash. I was followed by a dentist who spoke of the need for compassionate dental care for the aged and then a woman who talked about her experience in watching her elderly parents die. The last speaker on our panel was Harry. He was, as usual, brilliant. Harry has written a whole lot of books, many of them on the topic of palliative care. I could have listened to him all day.

I feel very honoured to have been a part of this day. If I could figure out how, I would attach a copy of my presentation to this blog but I haven't got a clue. So if you want to see it, just ask and I'll email you a copy. I understand that the photographs taken this morning should be posted on Michelle Simson's website this afternoon. If you are interested you can see them at www.michellesimsonmp.ca