When Jennifer Brady learned that Tim Houston would be kicking off the Progressive Conservative campaign near her home, she asked him her questions in person.

Halifax woman suffers from lymphedema, a chronic condition that causes painful swelling of tissue, and underwent treatment long legal battle with the Nova Scotia Department of Health regarding reimbursement for medical care received outside the province.

On Sunday, Brady confronted Houston during a media scrum at a party rally and pressed the PC leader to explain what he is doing for her and for people in similar situations.

“I was also hoping to put this on his radar so that in the longer term, no one else finds themselves in the situation that I’ve been in for four, almost five years now,” Brady, 46, said. in an interview Monday. at her house.

Houston expressed sympathy for Brady’s plight and admitted there was still work to be done in the health care field. The two spoke privately at the event on Sunday and again by phone on Monday.

PCs are ready to make changes

“We don’t want Nova Scotians to suffer,” the Progressive Conservative Party said in a statement.

“Policies for out-of-province funded services are developed with clinicians and we have to rely on doctors in cases like this. As our experience shows, we are prepared to make changes if policies do not work for Nova Scotians.

In recent years, Brady, a dietitian and occasional columnist on the CBC radio show Halifax Information Morningremortgaged her home to pay for surgery in Japan that is not available in Nova Scotia. Without MSI coverage, she can’t afford the ongoing care she needs to manage her illness.

There are no doctors specializing in lymphedema in the province.

In September, CBC News reported on Brady’s decision to apply for medical assistance in dying (MAiD)two years after filing a request for judicial review against the Ministry of Health’s refusal to cover his medical costs.

Final arguments were presented in March and both sides are still awaiting a decision. If the court’s decision is not in his favor, Brady said the provincial government has indicated it will seek legal costs.

“So in addition to not helping me get treatment and actively preventing me from receiving treatment, they are also harassing me and trying to prevent me from advocating for the treatment that I need,” a Brady said.

The NDP and the Liberals intervene

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill and NDP Leader Claudia Chender have already spoken to Brady. Both said his case is indicative of the poor state of the health care system in the province.

“All people want in this situation is compassion from the government in action and to know that the government will be there to save their lives, or at least do its best to help them continue to live,” said Churchill.

Chender said Houston “should be aware of (Brady’s) case and certainly should not fight against her to prevent her from getting the health care she needs.”

“I think she’s very brave and I think the situation is very sad,” Chender said.

Brady said she’s pleased that Houston “seems to be paying attention to the issue now.”

“But it took me so much time and effort to fight for this,” she said. “It’s absolutely exhausting. It feels like a full-time job sometimes.”