Shona Holmes Canadian Brain Tumor Survivor Speaks Out Against Government Health Care

[sunlitekid01]

as a cousin of a MALIGNANT BRAIN TUMOR survivor, i must say i am appalled by this lady's comments, its quite obvious she is all about "me-my problem-my-health" she is obviously making stories up as she goes. she is a selfish bitch....

My cousin had her surgery in less than 3 weeks (17 days) from the time she went to see the specialist. Am i saying the system is flawless? fuck no, it could be improved look at the BRITISH health! but is it better than what USA has?......HELL FUCKING YEAH IT IS.!

[TheRevolutionCanada]

This fucking Cunt is a dirty motherfucking Liar, Eat Shit you fucking CUNT

[mccommas2]

So we in our PJs are all doctors and we can tell what is cancer and what is just the sniffles?

Even if I grant you that you still miss the larger point. We should be making our medical decisions -- not big government.

We are going to elect a new president and a new senate and 0bamaCare is going to be repealed.

Fact.

[pip74205]

A Rathke's Cleft Cyst IS NOT CANCER. It is NOT LIFE THREATENING! America is the ONLY modern nation or Wester nation WITHOUT a universal health care system. America is the only country where the amount of money you have determines if you will be able to afford life saving surgery or die from without it. She is a worthless liar.

[apanzarello]

go back to Canada BITCH!

[ughzean]

@apanzarello PFFT WE DONT WANT HER...cant you take her...we will throw in some maple syrup ^__^

[murphyj87]

@apanzarello We don't want her. You have to take her. She wants your system, let her have it.

[DarthSchwartz]

morgaged her home to pay for tumor treatmen. Says it all right there. I'll gladly wait a few months if i have too.

[mccommas2]

She was going to die. What do you expect her to do? Die for the cause of socilized medicine? Fuck you.

[ughzean]

@mccommas2 too bad it was a cyst and not life threatening :P

maybe you should read up on the story.

[murphyj87]

@mccommas2 She had a benign cyst Even if she waited 4 years, instead of 4 week (as she did at the Mayo Clinic too) for surgery, it made absolutely no difference The only way she would die is if she walked in front of a bus. An American who had the same thing and couldn't come with $100,000 would never have the surgery until they got Medicare to have the surgery. Sounds like a 30 year waiting list in the US to me.

[krazykeys88]

Stupid americans deserve to be lied to, just keep handing your money over to the rich! Clever americans know that a fully universal system is better for everyone.

[muziquelle]

"Holmes said U.S. doctors considered the cyst a tumour, and that it would cause death if not removed immediately." (CBC)

Honey, they'll tell you anything to make a buck. Health care is a business south of the border!

[inwil]

I am an Ontario resident. I had a seizure. Went to an ER on a Sunday. Had all the tests. They found two large tumouurs (non cancerous). Met the chief neuro surgeonn on Monday. He wanted to do surgery next day. I said no until I could check him out and get a second opinion. My family and I finally agreed on surgery and it was done at the end of the week. All covered by O.H.I.P. (Ontario insuance ). All the brain surgery people I have met in rehab have told me they have had similar care to mine.

[krazykeys88]

The difference is that the same thing would have happened here (UK) except for:

1) We would have seen you just as quickly but it would have been free.

2) A fat newyorker insurance company wouldnt have raped you of your money

3) IN the UK we would have paid for a bus to bring you to the hospital.

[RedToryProductions]

As usual, the British can't distinguish the US from Canada.

[shawakwak]

ummm OHIP is Canada and it was free. FYI

[makinawdandy6699]

Quotation from CBC News on this story:

"But neurosurgeon Michael Schwartz of Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital says he's never seen or heard of a death from a Rathke's cyst. He told CBC News symptoms can be alleviated if the cyst is drained or part of it removed to take pressure off the optic nerve. "Then the person's vision almost always improves.

"If somebody called me about a patient that was losing her vision or had a structural abnormality of the brain I would see them within days."

[empress0807]

She's full of it. There are wait lists in Canada but patients are prioritized based on their health. My friends dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor on a Monday and it was removed Friday. This woman just wanted to jump through the gate without waiting and make a buck maligning Canada. If her symptoms had worsened, she would have had immediate surgery. Stop your lying!!!!! I hope you lose your house and can't pay that mortgage back for telling these lies to the American people. SHAME ON YOU

[iverglas]

No cancer, no tumour.

Rathke's cleft cyst.

Mortality rate: 0%.

Permanent effects post-surgery: none.

Lies: lots.

If her condition threatened her life or health, one would be surprised that the Mayo sent her back to Canada when they first saw her.

My mother and sister DO have cancer. And have had all the diagnostic procedures, chemo, radiation, surgery, home care, transportation and other services they need, when they need it and from the most qualified providers. Free of charge.

Truth.

[1cherie1]

If she was so determined to have American-style care, she should have American-style bankruptcy to pay for it. This is not to say we have sub-standard care in Canada. Far from it. Ms. Holmes simply chose to not accept her accurate Canadian diagnosis (a non-fatal cyst) and found a profit-driven U.S. supplier to give her what she wanted. Canadians should not pick up her tab.

[RedToryProductions]

How did Saskatchewan accomplish single-payer non-profit public medical insurance in 1940s ?

Tommy Douglas and Mouseland.

Check it out.

[murphyj87]

It wasn`t the `40`s it was 1962.

[RedToryProductions]

Saskatchewan Hospital Services Plan 1947

[TheCars4Sale]

how can you be a brain tumor survivor, when you had no brain tumor to begin with? Blatant antiCanadianism. The scandal of the century.

[drstarfirer]

Holmes' "brain tumor" was actually a Rathke's Cleft Cyst on her pituitary gland. To quote an American source, the John Wayne Cancer Center, "Rathke's Cleft Cysts are not true tumors or neoplasms; instead they are benign cysts." Holmes had a problem and she was given appointments with the appropriate specialists in Ontario. She chose not to wait the few months to see them. But it's a far cry from the life-or-death picture portrayed by Holmes on the TV ads or by McConnell in his attacks.

[drstarfirer]

Funny how Fox News likes to hide the truth

[shawakwak]

I'm no fan of fox news but I think even they got duped.

[drstarfirer]

The stats don't back her up .She is a fat cow who is being paid off..Actually 90% of Canadians like their health care..and over a million Americans a year go out of country..like to Canada to get health care. That actual friends that are helping her out are American special interest groups who are spending a 100 million a day to deceive you

GO FIGURE

THE TRUTH IS THERE IF YOU WANT IT

[scarcat]

Healhcare is a human right, not a privilege.

Shona Holmes did not have a life threatening tumour. It was not malignant. Basically ... she lied. She may have lost an eye, but not her life.

Shona is now suing the Canadian government ... 100% funded by the people that are trying fight Obama.

Please ... keep her in the USA. we don't want her back in Canada.

[AJSensei]

How is healthcare a human right?

[scarcat]

It is up to society to help each other to grow and prosper. It isn't just a common set of laws that we all abide by and beliefs that we share. A society that doesn't help itself to grow and prosper is one that let's itself die.

With growth and prosperity is the ability to be able to live and work to contribute back to society. This can only be done if you're healthy enough to do it.

Thus, the human right to life and giving to society starts with the ability to know their health is cared for.

[nicole610]

She is soo ridiculous if she is so much happier she should just move to the U.S. and cover the costs on her own like the americans do, not sue OHIP.

[jamzmk]

Shona Holmes is gay period......

[nck1572]

Given the choice, would you take $300,000 over the course of your lifetime or have universal healthcare?

I'd take the $300,000.

Then again, only people who pay income taxes pay for health care, for the rest of us, it's free. Therefore, here's to free health care, no income taxes, and screwing over honest, hardworking people who ACTUALLY pay income taxes.

[davcon08]

The doctor looked at her husband and said "unfortunatly your wife wont make it that long" Yeh right.! Who was this doctor? I think we found the problem. Undercover HMO pushing Canadians south? lol. How long did systems persist before you sought medical advice? These cysts dont happen overnight.  I'm kinda sickened by this interview and unfortunatly, we will likely see a ton more. Move to the states or reap our Canadian benefits of Health, and continue to pay for your health care state side

[danielgellner]

Yet not only does the commercial playing on FOX and CNN imply (if not blatantly state) that her tumor was cancerous, but it also says that if she had not received the operation immediately she would have died. Why is nobody here putting the US health care system under scrutiny for advising an immediate operation for something that is not life threatening, rather than criticizing the Canadian system for delaying a non-essential operation?

[danielgellner]

I am about to go on a rant, so bear with me:

Shona Holmess story appears on the Mayo Clinic website (the US hospital where she underwent the operation). According to that website:

"Dr. Naresh Patel, neurosurgeon, diagnosed Holmes as having a Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC). The rare, fluid-filled sac grows near the pituitary gland at the base of the brain and eventually can cause hormone and vision problems."

[Trinitytoo]

US Health care is the greater joke of the two systems. It isn't a real system at all. It is a consumer driven business catering HEALTH of WALL STREET. Do not PRETEND it is anything more than that. US care is RATIONED by denial of coverage, refusal to pay for "unproven treatments", purging of costly policies. Healthcare should not be considered a privilege. Amazingly US care is proven to do all the terrible things in that Universal care is accused of doing. Who's being hoodwinked ;)

[AJSensei]

It is a system driven up by greedy lawyers who take Doctors to court with frivolous law suits. People like John Edward drove healthcare sky high. The FDA also drives it up by making the pharmaceutical industry do way too many years of testing when they can use the tests from other countries. You my friend have been sold a lie.

[GeorgeBushLicker]

I am part of a family that has had seven life-threatening illnesses that were dealt with swiftly and with world-class efficiency thanks to the health care system available to all Canadians.

Aside from what looks like the "me" stance of Ms. Holmes, we are all sickened by the hypocrisy of her selling out, probably for monetary gain, while no doubt expecting our system, which she is vilifying, to pay for her bills.

Ms Holmes, please do us all a favour, and move to the US.

[nck1572]

Still - the Canadian Health care system is a joke.

[Ian7570]

Really? I've lived here all my life and have never had a problem with it. I guess i'm just one of the lucky few right? Lol, i would rather live here than pay through the teeth in the US

[empress0807]

A joke? I don't think so. When my parents needed heart surgery, they got the best care and guess what - NO CRIPPLING BILL. They had to wait but if they had worsened, they would have received immediate care. Healthcare here is a triage system - the sickest go first. Our sick don't die on the streeets.

[obomsawinn]

Do us all a favour and move to the US...you big dummy.

[badtux]

LOL! Not only was it just a cyst, not a tumor, it was a *benign* cyst. Google "Shona Holmes cyst" for details. Yeppers, she's a big fat liar and a major wingnut (see her anti-abortion video for example).

[MNICY]

Shona Holmes is a liar.

tinyurl (dot) com (slash) mceh2m

[zhelynd]

no surprise only the most "fair and balance" news channel would have her on

[5h3llf15h]

This women is now sueing the Ontairo Gov't to pay her American Health Care bills. Do American's sue the goverment for their Health Care Bills????

[mcresearch]

She had a cyst, not a tumour. Read the Mayo Clinc's description of her treatment.