The Hospital Chronicles Series Takes an Unflinching Look at the Canadian Healthcare System

Hospital care, nursing, accessibility challenges and more are addressed from a firsthand perspective

TORONTO, July 25, 2018 /CNW/ - A sudden and unexpected fall has become the basis of a new series on the popular Parenting blog, Multiple Mayhem Mamma. The series - entitled "The Hospital Chronicles" – is the brainchild of Parenting writer, media commentator and podcaster Samantha Kemp-Jackson and provides readers with a raw, unflinching and first-hand account of the author's recent immersion into the Quebec healthcare system, as well as her subsequent and ongoing recovery in Ontario. After her surgery and return to Toronto, Samantha's sudden infirmity (although temporary) and reliance on others has provided her with an eye-opening and revealing perspective. This mother of four is seeing the world anew and as a writer, is chronicling her challenges and triumphs with the hope of enlightening others about the plight of those who have also struggled with healthcare and accessibility challenges. Both humourous and insightful, the series is also provocative in that it raises key questions about the Canadian medical system, hospital care, accessibility or lack thereof and many related topics. With the healthcare system in the country under renewed scrutiny in recent years, The Hospital Chronicles is both timely and relevant, adding a voice to the national discussion. A link to the series page can be found here: The Hospital Chronicles.

The Hospital Chronicles - My Misadventures in a Strange New World (CNW Group/Multiple Mayhem Mamma)

The author's view from her hospital bed following surgery. (CNW Group/Multiple Mayhem Mamma)

"My experience becoming injured and temporarily infirm has opened my eyes to the challenges faced by many who deal with our healthcare system and accessibility roadblocks that are no fault of their own" says Kemp-Jackson. "The day-to-day struggles that are felt by both those working within the system and those who are at the mercy of it have become evident as a result of my hospital stay and subsequent convalescence," she continues.

"I hope to not only use The Hospital Chronicles as a cathartic outlet that conveys the ups and downs of my experiences, but as a starting point for discussion amongst Canadians about our healthcare system, accessibility challenges and the need for change in both areas."

Part One of The Hospital Chronicles outlines Samantha's nine-day stay in Gatineau-area hospital and her experiences navigating the province's healthcare system and the French language, of which she was not wholly familiar. Topics included in the first part of the series cover healthcare in Canada, language barriers, nurses and nursing care, hospital food, dependence on others, pain management and more. Part Two of the series, entitled "The Accessibility Chronicles" will focus on life after temporary infirmity, the author's experiences upon her return and revelations about the woeful state of accessibility in Ontario and beyond. In addition, societal attitudes about those with ability challenges as well as personal revelations will be included.

Articles in the series include (but are not limited to):

• I Fell for Quebec in the Most Unlikely Way
• Nurses – The Angels of Mercy
• Morphine, Dilaudid and Opiods – Oh, My!
• Bedpans and Broomsticks – The Humiliation of it All
• Please, Sir – Can I NOT Have Any More?
• Independence Day – Will it Ever Come?
• Hey America! I Went to the Hospital and Left Without a Bill!
• Inaccessible – My Sudden Fall Into a Strange and Unwelcoming World
• The Long Road to Recovery
• Fear and Loathing in The Six

Each of these articles and more will be released each Wednesday for the duration of the series.

The first article in the series, "I Fell for Quebec in the Most Unlikely Way" is now available on the Multiple Mayhem Mamma blog.

Readers are encouraged to comment and respond with their own "Hospital Chronicles" and to share their experiences on social media via the hashtag #HospitalChronicles and #AccessibilityChronicles. To join and follow the social media discussion, visit links here:

The Hospital Chronicles Facebook Page

The Hospital Chronicles Twitter Page

ABOUT: The Hospital Chronicles is a weekly series about one woman's experience with the Canadian healthcare system as well as her experience becoming temporarily infirm. The series will delve into an honest and provocative discussion about the Canadian healthcare system, accessibility, societal attitudes and more. The series will transition to The Accessibility Chronicles as it will recount the writer's life as one who is newly dealing with the challenges of living in a world where accessibility is not always apparent or available.

SOURCE Multiple Mayhem Mamma

MEDIA CONTACT: Samantha Kemp-Jackson, [email protected], [phone]