‘How will I survive?’: As money runs out, breast cancer patient plagued with worry

The 51-year-old woman from Beauharnois, Que., was devastated when she received her diagnosis last July and is now on the brink of financial ruin.

Lise Lalonde just wants to keep a roof over her head as she faces stage two breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes.

The 51-year-old woman from Beauharnois, Que., was devastated when she received her diagnosis last July and is now on the brink of financial ruin.

“How will I survive the next couple of months?” she said in an interview from her home Tuesday.

After taking time off work for a chemotherapy, bone marrow injections and surgery, she is running out of money. Lalonde will soon face the next hurdle in a long treatment plan: radiation.

The mother of three gave an update on her experience as she navigates the financial challenges associated with cancer. She received 26 weeks of Employment Insurance Sickness Benefit through the federal government, which covered approximately 55 per cent of her lost salary.

But now Lalonde, who doesn’t have benefits through her employer, is waiting on her latest application for financial aid under Quebec’s social solidarity program.

The process, she says, has been one “road block after another” since she initially contacted the province in early February. Her first application was denied since the little bit of money she does have left exceeded the maximum allowed.

“I was rejected because I had a few hundred dollars more,” Lalonde said.