All about us...
Shelley Breau
Administrator and DAWN P.E.I. Representative
I was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, and I lived there until I was 9 until my father got transferred to P.E.I. I was able to complete grade five and then, at the age of 13, I became really sick and I had to go to the I.W.K. hospital in Nova Scotia. I had a high calcium problem and they removed three of my parathyroid glands and they thought that I was only born with three because some people are. But three days after they operated my calcium went up again and they knew that I had the fourth parathyroid gland but they couldn’t find it. The gland is as small as the tip of a safety pin. So from the age of 13 until 17, I spent most of my time in hospital. One of the doctors that I had told me that what I had was a very rare illness called Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia. I am still having trouble with my calcium level and I always will as long as that last parathyroid gland is left in me. So I didn't get much education because of being in hospital so much. But I have been enrolled in adult education since 2003 and I was told that within another three years I will be ready to write my General Educational Development Test.
I moved back to Moncton in 1989 and I lived there for one year and then I moved back here to P.E.I. and then I moved back to Moncton in 1991 and lived there until 1995 and I moved back to P.E.I. Then I got married on June 21, 1997, but now my marriage has ended on September 9, 2007.
I face many challenges as a woman with a disability. First, I am fighting the calcium problem and I am trying to keep stress free so my calcium doesn't go up and affect my system. I find that taking this DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) is one thing that is helping me to cope with my stress. Second, I have other disabilities and I have to use a walker due to my arthritis in my knee. I find it hard to do housework but I do it by doing a bit at a time. That is all that I can do; I can't afford to pay someone to do the housework for me.
I joined DAWN P.E.I. in September 2002 and I became the representative for DAWN P.E.I. in June 2007. I also came on the board of DAWN-RAFH Canada in June of 2006. With DAWN P.E.I., we sometimes have a guest speaker or we will watch a movie. At Christmas, we have a party and we exchange gifts and when we close for the summer we have a meal together.
DisAbled Women's Network Canada
Réseau d'action des femmes handicapées du Canada
110 Sainte-Thérèse Street, Suite 505 /110, rue Sainte-Thérèse, bureau 505
Montréal, QC H2Y 1E6/ Montréal (Québec) H2Y 1E6
Phone /Téléphone: 514 396-0009 (QC); Fax /Télécopieur: (514) 396-6585 (QC)
Toll free / Numéro sans frais (Canada): 1-866-396-0074
Phone the toll free number first to arrange a facsimile transmission (Canada) / Téléphonez d'abord au numéro sans frais pour organiser une transmission par télécopieur (Canada)
Email / Courriel: admin@dawncanada.net