Fighting for Thalidomide compensation

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Michel O’ Neil says he’s a victim of the drug thalidomide.

“Getting dressed is a challenge with one hand, with zippers and buttons, and eating if it’s steak or something hard I need someone to help to cut the food.”

His left arm is shorter than his right. He has internal organ damage, an enlarged heart and a crooked spine. He’s had at least 15 different surgeries.

“They put a pin in and another piece, so that the hand is straighter and they cut my extra thumb that I had.”

Despite all of this he hasn’t been recognized as a victim by the government.

“Earlier this month the harper government announced a lump sum payment of $125 thousand to each survivor to help cover urgent healthcare needs, and a fund of up to $168 million to cover a wide variety of other expenses.”

“They told me they needed a note from the doctor and proof my mother took the pill.”

He doesn’t have his mother’s medical records, but he has a binder full of his own.

“This is all the testing that they did and the different surgery.”

He believes there are more than 95 victims of this pill which was given to pregnant women in the 50’s and 60’s to treat nausea, but many babies were born with missing or malformed limbs.

“As I age my health issues will get greater i may not be able to work.”

And if that happens he wants to make sure he too has access to this government assistance.