Wendy's story

October 6, 2008

Wendy was staring into a seemingly bottomless pit, overwhelmed by a tangle of illnesses, the need to abandon her career studies, the daunting prospect of applying for permanent disability benefits and a hoard of confusing government forms.

Just when her life reached its darkest time, she was put in touch with the woman she calls “my little angel” – the one who helped her sort things through and get some stability back into her life.

Wendy was a student of manufacturing engineering technology at Fanshawe College when she was overwhelmed with one medical condition after another, some of which include fibromyalgia, sleep disorders, diabetes, degenerative disease in the knees, allergies (food, metals, preservatives and environmental), and follow-up tests to watch for recurrence of cancer. “Have you ever picked up a tangled ball of yarn; you can’t just pull on one strand without affecting all the other strands? That’s how it is with my illnesses. When one illness flares up, it starts a chain reaction, everything follows,” Wendy says.

She had to leave school, due to failing health, in the final semester of 2004 and start the separate application processes for Canada and Ontario disability benefits. But she says, “They sent me forms I didn’t understand.” She took them to a social worker at the fibromyalgia program at St. Joseph’s Health Care, who recommended Wendy go to a United Way funded program at the London Employment Help Centre that helps people get all the government benefits to which they are entitled. That’s where Wendy met Lucille Brennan.

“I received their letters, and when I read them they sounded so terrible.  I would go into an all out panic attack. I would call Lucille so scared and panicked, but she would take the time to calm me down, and explain what the letter really meant,” says Wendy.

Lucille gathered up Wendy’s medical information from her host of doctors – a task complicated by the fact that Wendy did not and still does not have a family doctor. While the applications were going through, Wendy went on Ontario Works benefits. It was Lucille who made sure that Wendy knew that Ontario Works had extra assistance for those with special dietary needs and other mandatory special necessities, as Wendy does, and would help cover medical transportation costs to specialist.

But it was more than the provision of these services that Wendy remembers about Lucille. “She makes sure the people she works with are taken care of,” Wendy says. “She always took my calls. She did a lot of the legwork. She has a very gentle and sincere demeanour.”

Both of Wendy’s disability applications were initially rejected, so Lucille steered her through the different levels of the appeal processes. Even after a second pair of rejections, Lucille stuck by Wendy and applied for reviews. At the review hearings, Lucille attended and spoke on Wendy’s behalf. It took two years for the Ontario process to wind its way from application to ultimate approval – and another 10 months for the federal approval to come through.

Wendy is filled with gratitude for Lucille’s help. “She a very caring and amazing woman,” Wendy says. “I call her my little angel. I wish there were hundreds of her.”

Strengthening families is one of United Way of London & Middlesex's priority areas. Learn more.