Episode Transcript
Welcome to the first episode of "Abby's Breath of Hope." I’m Abby’s Grandfather, and today, I want to take you through a journey that’s both personal and painfully universal. It’s about fighting against giants when all odds seem against you.
Before I get into today's episode, the first few episodes of this show, will be from our material that has been posted on the website “Abbys Breath of Hope.”
It has been mentioned that there is so much information to read about Abbys journey on the website, that most people these days would rather watch a video or better yet listen to an audio, as it takes too long to read all of the information that is on the site and honestly I completely agree which is why we have started this podcast.
The intention of this podcast is not to be dramatic, or emotionally upsetting. The story can be emotional for sure, unfortunately the back story has to be told to create a baseline to grow future episodes and balance the positive with a bit of the harder news about Abby.
Now this podcast is not a place where we will be standing up and inciting an online riot so to speak. I mean yes, the health authority in Nova Scotia damaged Abby for the rest of her life, for which we have documented proof, and yes her healthcare has been impeded as a result of us holding the authority accountable, again we have documented proof.
As you are listening to this episode I ask that you keep one question in the front of your mind –
If this happened to your child, how would you handle this situation?
Pause ….
Abby’s struggle began in July 2019, before Covid was even talked about, with a simple visit to the emergency room at the hospital for what seemed like a mild asthma attack from a cold she had.
That period of time marked the start of a new, harsh reality for us. Mistakes were made—mistakes that were preventable. Because of those mistakes, Abby now lives with bronchiectasis, a chronic condition that will affect her for the rest of her life.
This isn’t just about a medical diagnosis. It’s about a system that seems to protect its own, turning a blind eye to errors that alter lives forever. The exact same system that reports citizens of the community for child abuse when its necessary to do so, that same system will never take responsibility for the child abuse they were part of, so I guess in Nova Scotia they appear to be above the law, thanks to Governments, Corporate greed and executives who find ways to cover up many mistakes intentional or otherwise, within their walls.
The very people we trusted to heal Abby ended up causing more harm. And when we sought accountability, the walls went up. The hospital and their insurance, armed with layers of legal defenses and tactics, seemed to dwarf our lone fight for justice.
But here’s the thing—this fight, it’s bigger than just Abby and us. It speaks to a troubling shadow cast over our healthcare system where too often, finances weigh heavier than the scales of justice. We’ve faced obstacles that made us feel small, almost invisible in a system we once trusted.
Abbys mom has been mistreated by the CEO of the insurance company protecting the hospital, the insurance companies legal firm has mistreated Abbys mom, executives of the hospital met with Abbys mom and grandmom, but nothing was done except they had meetings with internal staff to try to change things, which we all know will never happen as these situations have been going on for years.
And Yes there is proof out there of those situations. The northern director himself told Abbys mom to hold him accountable, not once, not twice but three friggin times. However it wasn’t in writing so it was witnessed in the meeting by his team and Abbys mom and grandmother.
It’s heartbreakingly unfair - Abby, who once trusted these healthcare professionals to help her, now is expected to be taught to respect a system that may very well have ruined her life. As she grows, every simple joy—a morning walk, playing in the park—can turn into a struggle for breath, leaving her scared and in pain. How is this acceptable? If we, as her family, had caused her such harm, Child Protective Services would swiftly intervene. So why are these medical professionals allowed to evade responsibility?
Yet, here we are, turning our pain into purpose. Through products we’ve created in Abby’s name, we raise funds not just for her ongoing medical needs which we should never of had to do.
She was born very healthy, she was thriving beyond all milestones until she met Jessica who gave her an experience of a life time but not a good one and the doctor did the same.
So now we have to find a way to raise money for many aspects of her daily life, her medical care – current and future, by selling products we create, having to ask for donations, which is a really tough one for me to accept.
Each item sold tells Abby’s story whether it is part of Abbys Breath of Hope or another one of our projects, all profits will go back to Abbys care but these sort of things will not happen overnight as we have to build trust as there are so many online scams.
As much as this is a broadcast, it’s also a plea—to you, the listener, to not just hear, but to act. Share this story. Let it ripple out into the world, turning awareness into action. And if you feel moved, join our community. Stand with us.
If you still are not sure, stick around for future episodes where we will be giving details to help you understand what our medical system knowingly did to Abby.
We will never tell details of this story that we can’t back up either from documented proof or research that is concrete and reliable.
I am not going to say or believe that we could make a difference in the community hospital or the Nova Scotia Health Authority because we need to be realistic they are protected by top officials in the government and legal teams, pockets are deep and they can hold this sort of thing up for years until either Abby is dead, or her mom is broke financially and destroyed emotionally.
The next time you are approached by a candidate looking to get into government office and they tell you they will rally for change in Health Care just look at them and tell them - BULLSHIT! Corporate power will be their boss!
In closing, my promise to Abby, as her Grandfather, is to never rest until the world hears her story. This mission is about giving Abby the best standard of living we can give her, without money we can’t do that as the costs as we all know are beyond what a normal household can afford.
Help us make Abby's journey a beacon of hope, change, and a future where care always comes first. Share her story, join our fight, and let’s ensure that together, we make a better future for Abby.
Thank you for listening to "Abby's Breath of Hope." Join us next time as we continue to share our journey and the powerful stories of others fighting similar battles.
Your support means everything.
