Our beloved Margaret was diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of 2023. This devastating news came as a shock to all of us, but Margaret faced it with incredible strength and courage. In February 2024, she underwent extremely expensive surgery and costly post-surgery hospital care in Canada in the hopes of defeating this disease. Her Trinidadian insurance coverage was very disappointing, to say the least, and the expense of that surgery was devastating to her financial resources. Unfortunately, despite her brave fight, the cancer has returned and spread to her liver and lungs.

As if this battle wasn’t hard enough, Margaret now faces another challenge. Due to the complexities of her Canadian immigration status, she does not have Permanent Resident Status to qualify for free health care expenses under the Canadian Medical Services Plan (MSP), nor does she now qualify for Canadian Cancer insurance coverage. The financial burden of paying for cancer treatment as a Private Pay Patient is therefore overwhelming, and she has been paying for it privately. 

Unfortunately, returning to her home in Trinidad for treatment isn’t a viable option. The journey itself would be incredibly taxing on her fragile health, and the lack of adequate medical support there could have dire consequences. Additionally, switching at this stage of her illness to medical treatment in Trinidad and then back to Canadian treatment at some point in the future could be overly difficult for her. While there is assured support in Trinidad from relatives and friends, Margaret needs to stay in Canada, surrounded by her family, who can provide the love and support she needs during this difficult time.

We are in the process of pursuing sponsorship for Permanent Residency to ensure Margaret can remain in Canada. She was recently invited to apply, and her application has been submitted. However, the decision process takes a minimum of twelve months, and in the meantime, the costs of her medical care are mounting rapidly.

We are reaching out to you, our friends, family, and compassionate strangers to help us raise the funds necessary to cover Margaret’s treatment. Every donation, no matter the size, will bring us one step closer to ensuring that Margaret receives the care she desperately needs without the added stress of financial worries.

Please help us with Margaret’s Cancer Fight. Please help us keep Margaret in Canada, where she can continue her fight with her family by her side. Your generosity and support mean the world to us. Thank you for standing with Margaret in her battle against cancer.