I don't know this courageous woman, Carly Stagg, I've never been given permission to share her content and if I'm doing so out of line, then please let me know or message me to take it down and I'll do so immediately, but this is too good, and such an incredible message, not to be shared!
EDITORS NOTE: Carly Stagg was a beautiful, young woman who worked in the media in Calgary. She was born with cystic fibrosis and needed a lung transplant just a few years ago.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she knew she was in a high risk group.
She passed away this week from complications from cancer at the age of 39 – becoming what she feared, a statistic of being another death of someone with a pre-existing medical condition.
With permission from her family, the Western Standard is publishing an April blog post from her, unedited.
Please be warned that the following post contains profanity.
Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard
Here are are her own words before she passed...
“To the masses out there, haphazardly self-isolating on terms they feel reasonable, this condition would make me an expendable casualty in this pandemic war.”
I work in news. Every time we report a death linked to COVID-19, there seems to be an echoed chorus rising from the public demanding to know the pre-existing condition that led this person to become a victim of the virus.
It bothers me. Every. Fucking. Time.
It’s possible the fact that I was born with a genetic disease that led to an organ transplant, which led me to having a compromised immune system that made my body susceptible to that cancer bullshit has made me a little sensitive.
I am a walking pre-existing condition.
To the masses out there, haphazardly self-isolating on terms they feel reasonable, this condition would make me an expendable casualty in this pandemic war. My death would be met with sighs of relief and a generally acknowledged sense that I somehow had it coming for daring to be born so cursed.
The mere fact that I was born genetically flawed set me up from birth to be cannon fodder in the coronavirus conflict.
My death would be glossed over as people rolled over and went back to sleep, asking to only be awakened when a truly tragic death was announced.
Here’s the thing. Fuck you.
I’m an educated person, I’m reasonably intelligent, my bills are paid, I have no debt, I have no criminal record, aside from a speeding ticket or two, I know the difference between your and you’re, I don’t go out of my way to hurt people, I feel badly when I do, I’m not a whisperer of outlandish conspiracy theories, I’m a decent baker, I speak two languages and can stumble my way through in a third.
I’m not less worthy of continuing my life than you are. I’m a person, yes. I have a family and friends who care about me, obviously. But the real kicker of this whole thing is because my life wasn’t perfect from the get-go, because things have been medically challenging, I’ve endured a lot of emotional and physical pain and gone through things that would make the average person crumble to their knees — all for the sake of moving this cursed existence forward another day.
I’ve fought, kicked, scraped and karate chopped through things that most people can’t even handle hearing about, because I have no other choice. I wasn’t given one. I didn’t ask for any of this. My parents weren’t being irresponsible in having me, as there was no genetic history of the disease in my family (and it was the 80s, before genetic testing was available), I wasn’t dreaming of having a lung transplant before the age of 30, no one puts “get cancer” on their life’s to-do list.
My life has been hard. And if, God forbid, I’m taken out by this fucking virus, that would be a deeply tragic and abrupt ending to my story. That ending would be worthy of at least a tear or two.
So if you think for a second having a pre-existing condition somehow makes a COVID-19 death less unfortunate, you’re a dick.
Carly Stagg
Carly’s friends have set up several fundraisers in her honour.
The Canadian Transplant Association was instrumental to Carly’s well-being when she went through a lung transplant.
Cystic Fibrosis Canada donations will be matched by a benefactor until December 31, 2020.
... now here is my two cents!
I've sat in on conversations time and time again regarding others that have passed during this pandemic. I've heard conversations surrounding the cause of death, that our health organization has given a green light on allowing every and all deaths to be labeled and signed off as "Covid" once they've passed no matter what the real cause may or may not have been, and I've physically been in the room with others as they've blatantly asked someone while they're explaining that their loved one had passed due to Covid, if they had any underlying health issues or how old they were.
As if implying, well then they really didn't die of Covid now did they, in a matter-of-fact , sluff-it-off, kind of tone.
I'm sorry, it is just me, or has this pandemic turned some of us into heartless fucking assholes who somehow think it's okay to be so passive about someone's death or act as if they almost deserved it, or that it was inevitable due to "underlying health conditions" or age.
Full transparency, I've bitched about this pandemic, I"ve been tired of it, I've been annoyed and frustrated, angry that so many businesses are closing their doors, or that someone gets pissed off at me because, although masked, and keeping my distance, they have to let it be known how irritated they are at me because I wasn't following the arrows, or that we couldn't be around our loved ones without being fined or tattled on during the Holidays. Yes, I've also seen my grandchildren, and a few of my friends as well.
Ya, I've been really pissed off at times, but I sure as hell am not going to risk someone elderly, or compromised, getting a virus that could kill them, and fuck you, if you think it's okay because they were compromised to begin with. My grandparents and parents raised and taught me better than that.
Whether or not you feel that this is all bullshit, or everyone is walking around being sheep, you have a right to be a decent human being, and thinking about someone else other than yourself during this time. And if that means wearing a mask for 15 min while you go get ice cream, or pay for gas, standing in line at the post office, or whatever it is that you feel that you can't or don't want to order to your doorstep or do without contact, you need to check yourself!
I'm a huge advocate for doing what you need to do to help with your mental health, getting outside, interacting and having human touch, but this isn't all about you and whatever this is, however big or small this is, there are people dying and if I can do my part to make sure that I'm not responsible for someone getting sick, regardless of their health or age, I'm going to make damn sure I do it.!
Sincerely,
Joelle 🥂
with "my two cents"
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