A federal government employee is relying on friends, family, and charity to help him keep up with bills and provide Christmas gifts for his two young children after Ottawa’s broken Phoenix pay system cut off his income while he recovered from a nearly fatal heart condition.

Denis Begin is one of the 18,000 public servants impacted by the outstanding pay backlog, according to the latest update from deputy minister of public services and procurement Marie Lemay last month.

A rare and sudden heart condition nearly killed 39-year-old Begin in July. He underwent emergency surgery at the Ottawa Heart Institute, followed by months of rehab and recovery.

“I took my aorta and shredded it,” he told CTV Ottawa. “It blew up, which normally has a five per cent survival rate.”

Workers must take sick leave or go on employment insurance during a 13-week waiting period before insurance benefits kick in for those on long-term disability. But the troubled Phoenix pay system didn’t process the paperwork correctly, leaving Begin without a paycheque for three months while he recovered. When his pay started to roll in, it wasn’t nearly enough.

“We owe so much money to so many people,” he said. “We’re in a rough place.”

Friends, family, and neighbours have provided gift cards to help cover the necessities for him, his fiancé, and their two children. He’s even been gifted a snow removal service to clear his driveway while he regains his strength.

Ironically, Begin, a federal public servant for more than 15 years, looked into assistance from the City of Ottawa, but was told he makes too much money to qualify. He has registered his children for donated Christmas gifts through the Toy Mountain gift drive, but is unsure if any will arrive.

The federal government is working to whittle away the more than two-month pay request backlog. Lemay said in November that the goal is to ensure that federal workers are paid what they are owed within 20 days of submitting pay claims. But she admits that goal is only being met 20 per cent of the time. The remaining 80 per cent are looking at wait times of two months or longer.

Begin is slowly recovering and has returned to his job part-time. His private insurance policy is covering the days he’s at home. He’s counting on Phoenix to pay for the days he works.

“Do I have any faith in that? No,” he said. “They told me it would be anywhere from six to 10 weeks before Phoenix will even have me back into the pay system. So we are talking mid-January before we see anything.”

Begin considers himself lucky when he reflects on what happened. At least he has his health.

“It’s sad to see the situation we are in, but then again, it could just be her (his fiancé) and the two girls, and they get to visit me in the ground. That’s what’s important.”

With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Catherine Lathem