Patricia DeWit

The illustration for the cover art was a collaboration between the author and the artist.

I needed Patricia to capture the sense of urgency in my advocacy work, while fighting for fairness for all Canadians with disabilities. Patricia read the memoir and understood exactly what I asking from her as she explains in her own words: “I wanted to show how ready Lembi was to meet the obstacles. She is in motion, unshakable, prepared, and determined to do whatever was needed, not just facing an obstacle, but actually obliterating it.”

Jim and I met Patricia and her husband Peter when we were visiting Paris a number of years ago. I bought one of her illustrations back then, and had it framed for Jim as a Christmas gift. When I was looking for an artist to create the cover for my memoir, Jim suggested that I get in touch with Patricia. As so often is the case, Jim was right!

Patricia and Peter are Canadians working with marginalized populations, welcoming newcomers to Paris, with a determination to uphold their dignity and value. They work closely with the American Church in Paris as well as Serve The City International.

Patricia and her husband were serving as missionaries in Thailand, when she stumbled upon some urban sketches of a local Thai artist, and her soul was stirred by the beauty of practiced imperfection. She wondered, how can someone get away with art that looks so sloppy but so beautiful at the same time? They met up in June 2012, and since then, her future as an extraordinary water colour artist was sealed.

So many others to thank as well…

I would like to thank my good friends Robert Currer and his partner Dennis Pfohl who have supported my advocacy efforts over the years and created my websites, including http://www.fightingforfairness.ca. They have also played a most important role as far as the overall look of the book, inside and out, ensuring that my memoir reaches readers such as yourself.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Marvin Ross who provided the assistance I needed to get this memoir into print and to Brenda Hillebrand and Marion Gibson who assisted with the proof reading of my manuscript. My gratitude also extends to many friends, including Melissa and Jerry McKee, Arlaine Bertrand, and others who read several drafts of the manuscript for their helpful advice. There is a special place in my heart to the individuals and families who have allowed their stories to be told, though some of their names have been changed to protect their privacy. Unfortunately, the stigma of mental illness continues to be pervasive in our society.

Over the years, there have been numerous individuals within the Department of National Revenue who have supported my efforts; several have been willing to review so-called “obvious” cases, and allow the DTC without the need to appeal many of them to the Tax Court of Canada.

I also wish to acknowledge Dr. Robert Cooke, who always provided excellent care for Jim. Unfortunately, he was caught in the conundrum in the interpretation of legislation that clearly discriminated against the mentally ill, who were not considered to be as disabled in their everyday lives as those with physical impairments.

I also want to acknowledge Michael McCamus, formerly with the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, who was invaluable with his support for my advocacy in the earliest days of my lobbying efforts when I went knocking on doors, looking for support. He currently lives in Vietnam with his wife teaching English as a second language.

Most importantly, my husband Jim deserves to be recognized for his courage to allow me to write about some of the very personal challenges we have faced over the years, not only fighting an unforgiving illness that threatened to draw us apart, time and time again, but also fighting for fair tax treatment for all Canadians with disabilities. And then, there are our children, Jonathan and Larissa who always stood by us, never judging, but always providing much needed love and support, especially when we needed it the most. Larissa is credited with the cover photo of me, taken when I was visiting her and her family in Switzerland.

I hope that my memoir encourages others to speak more openly about the challenges facing people living with a severe and chronic mental illness. While everyone is different, they all need our love, compassion and support. They also need the steadfastness of a government that recognizes that they too, are worthy citizens, and entitled to the same income supports as people living with physical impairments.