I live in Thunder Bay, am 51 and have uncontrolled seizures from epilepsy. Before being accepted on BI, I was on ODSP. The increase in money while on BI allowed me to buy healthier food, which has helped decrease the amount and severity of the Grand Mal seizures I have. It was so nice knowing for at least 3 years, I could live with less seizures. That was a huge help to me. It allowed me to not call an ambulance whenever I had a particularly bad Grand Mal. It saved the province money for Ambulatory services, plus hospital visits. I was also planning on going to college for 2 or 3 yrs before the study ended and hopefully find a job before the study ended so I could stay off ODSP forever. Now, that plan has been scrapped and now I know I will not only be back on ODSP without the schooling I need, but I will be forced to eat unhealthy food again, which will increase the amount, and severity of Grand Mal’s. I will be back in the hospital more, taking the ambulance more, costing tax payers to foot the bill.

After I was accepted on BI, I was also starting g to feel better about myself, knowing that instead of having $10 left at the end of the month on ODSP (after rent, bills, and making food stretch as long as I could before having to go to food banks to make up the difference), I would have a little more money. I was able to buy a pair of new sneakers and throw out my old, 7 yr old sneakers which were full of holes, I was planning on buying a second hand bike so I didn’t have to walk everywhere.

All of these things are taken for granted by a lot of people, but for me, BI is a huge help, and in the matter of my epilepsy, a lifeline and life saver. Please let the study finish. We need the data to compare with other studies. I beg of you, to whoever makes the final decision on whether or not to continue this study, I beg of you to continue the study.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Best of luck to all of you out there who are being affected by this decision.

Ian