What Matters to You – The Little Things

Thankful to my staff!

Oftentimes we do things or perform work that can profoundly impact others that no one will ever know about or realize.  My office staff  ♡ do this daily: fielding calls, working on case files, and chasing items that fall through the cracks in the system.  There are several items that, as the MLA, I’m able to chase further through the ministries. Often, these things can impact people’s daily lives, but we generally never talk about them, and we certainly never expect any fanfare.  It’s not about that for us; helping people is what we do here.

Today I do want to share with you some of the more personal items my staff and I have been part of. These are the little things that have made everything so worthwhile at the end of the day when my first term as the MLA for our constituency ends this spring.

Having specialty life-saving medications approved thus allowing for a better quality of life for those who need it

Approval of the expanded use of Trikafta in the province for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, first in 2021 for patients 12 and older and then this last summer for patients 6 to 11.  I was very happy to help where I could as a member of the legislature to advocate for this medication to be included in a list of medications covered by Alberta Healthcare for CF patients.  I was also very pleased when the same group helped another young man from eastern Alberta avoid the need for a lung transplant, as he was accepted for this medication. Not only is it a game changer for the patients, but it also is an extremely cost-effective way of minimizing the demands on the healthcare system itself.

Approval of gene therapy medication to help kids with a rare disease be able to live past 18 months, and then to support ongoing medication which can reverse some of the effects to let them live meaningful and productive lives.  Little Harper and Mighty Max were two young Albertans, along with their families, who brought to our attention a rare disease, which was a death sentence to these little ones not so long ago.  I was happy to help where I could for Harper and her family, who were doing all they could on their own, with the support of friends and family, to bring attention to the matter and raise funds for treatment.  The Alberta Government has now approved the use of the therapy for the treatment of these rare diseases and has given these kids a real shot at a long and productive life.

I was able to assist and take over part way through the call as someone had called our office desperate for help, this poor person was suicidal.  The person was from the big city and, at a very low and challenging point in her life, had reached out to her MLA to no avail several times.  She was house-sitting in our area, reached out to our office instead, and we were there for her.  I kept her on the phone, listening, talking, reassuring her that things would get better, that we indeed cared about her, that she mattered, that this was just a rough patch, that she was not alone, and that we all needed help from time to time.  My staff, who had been on the phone with her first, had reached out to the RCMP, and they were en route to help in person.  They arrived, and I kept her on the line to make sure she was in good hands. Sobbing, the woman thanked us for caring and for returning her call.

Listening to folks who are having health issues related to vaccine injuries

As I was publicly pressured, had demands for my resignation, was being ostracized and mischaracterized for nearly 8 months by the opposition along with some of their mainstream media platforms, I had enough and finally l went public with my private health information.  I formally gave an interview to those same media outlets, made statements on social media, drove my gravel truck in the local Edmonton convoy, and shared that I had a very visible vaccine reaction, and indeed was vaccine injured.  Although that quieted down the noise for a little while, and even though I have the medical records and the letters to prove it by medical doctors, I was still “faking it” according to some of the opposition members and their most devoted keyboard warriors. 

I can’t tell you how many folks have reached out to me, not only from our area but across the province, country, and even the ocean.  They needed someone to hear them, someone to believe them. Several people out there have health complications due to Covid itself, a vaccine reaction, or a combination of both.  Folks are soldiering on, some with better results than others.  One year after I made my health issues public, I believe that we have come a long way toward healing the divides created, but I truly wish folks would keep an open dialogue and an open mind.  We don’t know what the other person may be going through health pressures, financial pressures, or family pressures.  I’m asking all of you to take that small moment in time for a deep breath, pause, and listen to others. It could even be something as simple as letting another person go in line ahead of you, hold open a door, offer a smile, or say a kind word.  It could just be the little thing that makes all the difference in that person’s day, and it could be just what they need. 

If someone has done something kind or helped you somewhere or sometime in your life, you should tell them that it meant something to you, that it helped, and that you are thankful.  At that moment, it may be just the thing that they need to keep them going as well.  Believe me, over the last few weeks, hearing how my staff and I have helped others has made me realize how the little things can be the biggest things at that moment to those that need it the most.

Sincerely,

Shane Getson