A Burnaby man and former bodybuilder is forced to choose between eating and paying the rent.
For the last two years, Shaun Balint has become severely allergic to soy, gluten, corn, lactose and latex, found in many fruits and vegetables. Symptoms include dizziness, blackouts, burning sensations and swelling of the eyes, face and hands. Given that most food has become extremely hard to eat, he’s lost a significant amount of weight. During his prime weight-lifting years, he weighed 275 pounds. Now, he’s mostly skin and bones, and the scale reads 132.
After spending nearly two weeks in Burnaby Hospital last month, a dietician and two specialists prescribed Balint protein bars and shakes to maintain his nutrition. The supplements cost $795 a month. He and his wife Lara were reportedly told by hospital staff not to worry about the cost, and that an application to the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation, detailing what supplements he needed, would be submitted on their behalf. Thinking everything would be covered, the couple then went out and spent all of their rent money on the protein.
They soon discovered the provincial government could only cover up to $205. As a result, they couldn’t pay last month’s rent and were given an eviction notice. A few days later, they received a crisis grant of $570 from the ministry to make the rent so they wouldn’t get evicted. The Balints say they don’t have the cash this time around to make the September payment.
“I’m very frustrated and angry,” Balint, who lives in Metrotown, told the NOW.
Burnaby-Deer Lake MLA Kathy Corrigan contacted the ministry on the couple’s behalf. The response she received was that the ministry is bound by legislation and can’t increase the cap.
“The only suggestion we could give is to work with his doctors to see if there are cheaper alternatives and/or seek out community resource support,” the email exchange reads.
“If this was a cancer patient or a heart patient, we wouldn’t be rationing the drugs that that person got,” said Corrigan. “Shaun’s life is as in danger as somebody with a severe disease. There has to be a humanitarian exception made for him.”
Lara, meanwhile, said she’s had to cut down on her hours at work to look after her husband.
“Now that he’s blacking out more often, I’m not comfortable leaving him by himself. I’ve come home before and found him on the floor. I’ve come home and he’s face-planted into a plate.”
The family has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise some money. Go to tinyurl.com/zzqapvb to donate.
