Lisa's FND Journey of Courage, Hope & Strength

Pain & Positivity-Let’s help my sister Lisa regain her health and home back!

The Backstory:

My sister, Lisa Langlois, has always been a beacon of light, radiating her love and sense of humor to whoever she meets. She loves spending time outdoors, walking by the river, or helping her husband, Eric, with photoshoots that capture joyous moments for others. Her passion in life is to sing, and with this gift, she brings comfort to others and deep joy to herself. To put it simply, Lisa embraces life fully, loves her family and friends, and has a deep sense of gratitude for those around her; she recognizes what matters most and focuses on those intangible things that truly fill her heart.

Giving back to her community is paramount for Lisa: at work, she serves as a mentor in a peer-to-peer group, volunteering her own time to provide help to those in need of support. As some of us are fortunate enough to know, having someone like Lisa in your corner can change lives for the better. Lisa is my only sibling and our bond is unbreakable, this is the back story as to why this Go Fund Me Campaign means so much to me.

I want to take you back to 2009 to give you a brief summary of when things changed for my sister. This was the year the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the H1N1 flu to be a pandemic. It's important to know this story is NOT a debate over vaccines: Lisa has always believed that people have the right to make their own life choices. She decided it was wise to get the vaccine; her decision was not an easy one but one that she quickly came to regret as it changed her life and ours forever.

The impact of the H1N1 vaccine on my sister was something we never could have anticipated. Shortly after she received the vaccine, she developed a rash, and severe breathing issues and found out she would never be able to conceive children of her own, suffered 3 hard miscarriages and was quite sick for approximately one year due to the reaction it had on her system. This news shook her to her core. To this day, she continues to react badly to some medications and she has had traumatic incidences as a result. But she didn't let it crush her spirit; she chose to look on the bright side to a life of gratitude for what she did have, rather than dwell in sadness for what she would never have. Lisa remained impressively positive. Her focus on singing intensified and she impressed us all with her incredible strength and grace in the face of adversity.

Lisa Today:

Then another tragedy hit my sister and this is why it’s time to ask for help. Over a year ago, many organizations mandated their employees to obtain the Covid-19 vaccine but having had the horrific experience of vaccines in the past, she sought medical advice. Cautiously, Lisa opted to receive the vaccine but with medical supervision. She knew that without vaccination, her job could be in jeopardy which would have had serious financial repercussions for her family. After receiving the first two doses of the vaccine, she immediately began to suffer a decline in her physical and mental health; her world was changed drastically.

It has been an extremely challenging road for her and her family as severe and life-altering symptoms quickly progressed. After numerous long conversations with my sister, I finally convinced her to accept help; this was challenging for her because Lisa is one who prefers to give than to receive. However, it was time to allow others the opportunity to provide the support and guidance needed to help lessen the burden of this difficult time. It was time for her to accept help.

The Need / The Ask:

Now I am asking for help on Lisa’s behalf. So many wonderful people in Lisa and Eric’s circle want to do something that can make their situation more bearable, but don’t know how. This is why I am sharing their story with you in case you would like to lend your support in any way possible. Let us join forces and help make life easier for my sister Lisa and her amazing husband who has been juggling his job, running most of the household, driving Lisa to non-stop medical appointments, and lovingly taking care of all her needs during this traumatizing time for all of us. The need is bigger than I can possibly put into words.

Once an active outdoor enthusiast, shortly after her second vaccine, Lisa started to feel ill and progressively started to lose her balance and fall having such weakness in her limbs and bones that she quickly became unable to walk without a walker. Now she needs a walker to get around in small areas such as her home but is mostly bound to a wheelchair when outside the home. After having numerous tests, her medical diagnosis of autoimmune attack, nerve damage, neuro and central nervous issues, and muscle weakness, has changed her life immensely. Her body is plagued by spasms in her hands, arms and throughout her lower body from her knees to her toes. She has joint, and muscular-skeletal issues, tremors, stutters, extreme fatigue, brain fog, memory loss and confusion, long covid symptoms. Her cognitive issues make her life very challenging to say the least. She experiences pins and needles in her extremities and suffers debilitating sleep disturbances. In addition, she has recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

My goal is for her to be able to focus solely on getting better, continuing with rehabilitative services without the constant burden of wondering how they will be able to afford their mortgage, house repairs to reflect their current reality, the inability to walk without a walker and her near-constant fatigued state.

To make matters worse, the inflation rate, medical costs, and renovation projects have put a significant financial strain on her and her family, especially with reduced work schedule and long-term disability funds. It’s time to ask for help in order to see Lisa through this difficult period of life. She's my only sister, I know there are so many caring people in the world, I happen to know many of them and so I ask for your help. It is not easy for me or my sister to share all these personal details, however, sometimes in life we must allow ourselves to be vulnerable and LET PEOPLE HELP.

Let us join forces and help make life easier for my sister Lisa, and her amazingly supportive husband who is doing everything in his power to ensure he is giving her the best possible care, all the while, trying to maintain both of their mental health during this traumatizing time.

Despite the devastating news that Lisa recently received, she has found a way to remain positive most days. Despite the probability of never regaining her mobility, she still tells me every time we talk, “I am alive and here for another day". My children who love their only aunt so much, are also heartbroken and confused seeing their fun-loving aunt in this situation, but we all take comfort knowing that Lisa is still determinedly focusing on keeping up with her mental health during these dark times. It's amazing how despite all odds, Lisa finds the strength within herself to stay hopeful rather than fall into despairing anguish - truly remarkable!

The Costs:

Despite putting in two decades of faithful service to the government, and being a dedicated and loyal employee, Lisa finds herself at her breaking point. Having to use all her banked sick leave, she is only able to work part-time (and for how long, who knows), remotely, while spending her breaks and lunch hours in bed due to extreme fatigue, so that she can find the strength to finish her work day. This situation has become a huge obstacle and tragedy in her life.

Long-term disability covers some basic medical costs but not nearly as much as required if Lisa wants any real hope of improving her health. Mental health is a huge concern making therapy compulsory for my sister, however, benefits would cover only a minimal amount per year. With no end in sight, Lisa and Eric face a long road ahead of them both. Their life is even more difficult when compounded by exhaustion from shouldering all the extra responsibilities – it’s just one too many challenges going forward, and so it’s time to ask for help and support.

Here are just some of the immediate financial concerns that plague my sister and brother-in-law every day:

Every donation will bring Lisa and Eric one step closer to a more hopeful future, allowing them the financial support they need so that she may have an opportunity to make her health her main focus with the possibility to walk again without the need of a walker/wheelchair and get back to her normal self.

Your contribution could lighten their load as they face huge renovations needed in order to make their home accessible, easing the strain from her loss of income and giving her more time to dedicate towards achieving better health outcomes.

How You Can Help:

Micro donations, like those you can make through social media, give you the chance to join others in making a significant difference. Every donation counts and, when shared on your social media platforms, those amounts become part of a larger movement that speaks louder than any individual donation.

Whatever you can give will make an impact on Lisa and Eric’s lives, both financially and emotionally - together we can do anything!

Thank You:

Despite the challenging times many of us currently face, our past proves that unfamiliar people can demonstrate tremendous kindness toward important initiatives. My sister Lisa is a paragon of love and compassion; however, her current health struggles have been heartbreaking for us all - especially her amazing husband, beautiful stepdaughter, and my own children who question why their auntie has become so ill.

Together with Eric, she's dedicated much of her life to Canada's Governmental efforts, making your donations invaluable in supporting them both during this difficult time. No words are enough to express how grateful we feel towards anyone willing to read or share this message or generously donate what they can!

With much love, Gina Matteson