A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
An Ontario mother, who had been holding a one-woman protest for the past week to try to get help with her son's autism care, will finally have her file looked at after a call from the social services minister.
Stacy Kennedy staged a sit-in outside of the Premier Doug Ford’s office in an effort to get better access to autism funding and services for her 10-year-old son, Sam.
Kennedy told CTV National News she decided to protest with the hopes of opening a dialogue with the provincial government about how desperate families of children with autism are for help.
"We took the word of this government and Doug Ford, we took the word of most government’s that you’ll actual take care of us and I’m here to say that’s not happening and its woefully unacceptable," Kennedy said.
After seven days of sitting in the office's parking lot and sleeping in her van, Ford finally responded to Kennedy's protests, but it took a question from CTV News at a press conference to do so.
"Stacy, I will make sure that we reach out to you [and] have a good conversation," Ford said Wednesday.
Kennedy said Ford called her later Wednesday and agreed to have an in-person conversation about issues with the government’s new autism program.
"There was a lot of sound bites, a lot of staying on point," Kennedy said of the call.
Kennedy said Ford’s office will schedule a time for them to meet at a later date.
In addition, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Merrilee Fullerton, who is in charge of the autism file, called Kennedy Thursday.
Kennedy said the minister was sympathetic and agreed to look at her file. She explained that Sam has been on the waitlist for four years to receive full access to the province's autism programs.
While such barriers are frustrating, Kennedy says parents of children with autism have “no choice" but to try to navigate them.
"These are the roadblocks that have been thrown in front of us. I just want the average Canadian to understand how horrifying they are -- that I literally had to sit in my van for someone to make things move," Kennedy said.
"That’s atrocious, it's cruel, it’s callus, it's a scandal."
Angela Brandt, president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, said Kennedy's concerns speak for the entire autism community.
"It’s so sad that this is the extent she had to go to in order to be heard, just to be heard," Brandt told CTV News.
Ontario's new autism program has been widely criticised and slow to roll out. Advocates estimate 40,000 families are waiting to receive access to full funding and therapy services.
Most families are currently offered one-time funding of $5,000, but experts say that isn't much help for those paying $40,000 to $80,000 a year for services.
"This $5,000 payment… it's an interim payment, it is not access to therapy, so they are still on a waitlist because they are not accessing therapy," Brandt said.
"The Ontario autism program is a treatment program. It’s not a subsidy program, so if they’re not accessing treatment, they’re on a waitlist," she added.
After speaking with the premier and the minister, Kennedy ended her sit-in on Thursday. However, she acknowledges that the fight is not over.
If the provincial government doesn't make good on its word, Kennedy said she will be back protesting in front of the premier's office.
"I don’t want to do more talking, I want to see more action, not just for my son, but for everyone," she said.
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
You would be forgiven for thinking Christina Lauren's latest romance novel stars a hunky reimagining of Loblaw chairman Galen G. Weston.
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'