Grant Hardy hosts The Pulse, and speaks with Dilshad Kassam-Lallani, and Wesley Magee-Saxton from Holland Bloorview Kid’s Rehabilitation Hospital about the “Turning 18 isn’t so sweet: the critical gaps in health care for young adults with disabilities” report, part of their bigger advocacy campaign called “No Piece of Cake.” 

The report highlights the systemic change that is needed to support patients with disabilities through their transition from pediatric healthcare to the adult health care system. 

Dilshad Kassam-Lallani is a nurse practitioner in the Spina Bifida/Spinal Cord Injury Clinic at Holland Bloorview and sat on the advisory panel for the report. She speaks to Grant about the experiences with patients that helped her advise the reporters for this campaign, and what kind of impact this kind of report can have on the disability community. 

Then, Wesley Magee-Saxton joins Grant for a conversation about their lived experience aging out of the pediatric healthcare system. Wesley is 24 years old and has Cerebral Palsy. They were a patient of Holland Bloorview from 18 months old to 18 years old and describes their 18th birthday as “falling off a cliff.” 

You can read the full report at www.nopieceofcake.ca

Highlights:

• Show Intro (00:00)
• Introducing Dilshad Kassam-Lallani (1:30)
• Key findings from the report (3:39)
• Demographics and location’s impact on healthcare accessibility (6:30)
• Dilshad’s biggest takeaway from the report (8:01)
• Biggest risks that patients face coming out of pediatric care (10:48)
• What can we do to create change? (12:39)
• Introducing Wesley Magee-Saxton (15:47)
• What was the transition to adult health care like? (17:04)
• Ways to support patients coming out of pediatric care (18:01)
• The most shocking aspect of aging out of pediatric care (19:49) 
• What can be changed in the adult health care system? (20:43)
• Young adults deserve better during this transitional period (22:41)
• Wesley’s work at Holland Bloorview (25:46)
• Wesley’s dreams in Hollywood! (26:41)

Check out the Pulse on YouTube!

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AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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