By John Kennedy, grandfather of the late Reilly Anzovino, on behalf of his wife Phyllis, daughter Denise and the rest of Reilly’s family and friends
To Whom It May Concern … And it won’t be (Ontario’s premier) Dalton McGuinty or (the province’s health minister) Deb Matthews that’s for sure.
Reilly's grandfather, John Kennedy, her aunt Marnie Kennedy, mother Denise Kennedy and her brother Kain look on as Sue Salzer reads a message from the family to a public hearing in Niagara on our diminishing hospital services. Photo by Doug Draper.
First of all, thank you to everyone that is working passionately at getting our Fort Erie hospital or what they call “small town facilities” secured. Please forgive me if I sound a little bitter but I woke up this morning again…. a grieving grandfather who has lost his beautiful, sparkling granddaughter Reilly! My granddaughter, who I hugged not knowingly (for) the last time on Christmas Eve.
We all watched Reilly in amazement like we always did, tell us about school and her future plans….. and how happy she was to see her friends and family for Christmas Break. (It was) a visit that was cut short because, and I will try to be nice… of maybe, the McGuinty government’s negligent thinking and paying out millions to restructure our small town health care. … 40,000 people (in Fort Erie when, during the summer, the Buffalo area and other U.S. summer cottagers come in) is apparently considered a small town now??
It’s a shame to think how health care has changed. In the 90’s, I was taken by ambunurse’sfrom my home in Ridgeway, Ontario and admitted to the Douglas Memorial hospital in Fort Erie with a serious nosebleed. I was on a 24-hour watch by the nurse’s station and was there for four days. I have since then suffered a stroke and was admitted in a matter of minutes, and what could have been very serious ended up a “mini stroke” because of my PROMPT care!
Now Stroke victims lay in a hallway for 20 hours before even being seen by a Doctor, a drink of water seems to even be too much to ask for. You would never get away with treating an animal like this! Emergency wait times cut by 42 per cent, says the NHS. Hogwash and lies.
I truly believe that if the best thing you can do is to give your life to save someone else, then our precious Reilly, Kennedy-Anzovino did not die in vain and WE WILL GET OUR HOSPITAL BACK AGAIN.
We Love you, and miss your smiling face Reilly.
Nanny and Papa Kennedy Sincerely, John and Phyllis Kennedy
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