Mother of disabled son fears she'll lose everything before her day in court
Colette Theriault says she doesn't know how she'll find the money to care for her 29-year-old son who functions at the level of a two-year-old.
She's accused of defrauding and stealing from the Department of Social Development and won't get a preliminary hearing until late next spring.
Carley Parish appeared in Saint John provincial court Tuesday on Theriault's behalf to elect trial by judge and jury.
Theriault says she could have tried to make it into the city, but it would have been difficult because her son Nicky had recently suffered another seizure.
"When he has seizures, he's 24 hours in bed," she said from her home in St. Martins. "He's like a bag of potatoes. He's 200 pounds. I can't move him."
A two-day preliminary hearing has been scheduled to start June 15.
Theriault has requested to be heard in French.
Trouble finding caregivers
Last year, she said, Social Development stopped providing her with $5,146 a month.
She said she'd used the money for her son's care, including expenses such as adult diapers and medicine.
She did tell CBC News that it was difficult to find respite care for her son or any personal care workers who would work for the $14 an hour that is mandated by the department.
Sometimes she had to pay as much as $25 an hour, then fiddle with the paperwork that she submitted to the province, she said.
Theriault said she asked for help from Social Development to advise her how to manage the situation and the difficulties she faces.
But she said department officials haven't told her what is going on.
"I've never even had a letter telling me why they've cut off Nicky's funds."
Theriault said she has kept the receipts for all expenses related to her son's health and care, and she hopes she will have a chance to have her say in court.
But she said she doesn't know how she'll get by until then.
She said she's cutting corners, and that's affecting their diet.
Her son has regressed and she has nobody to help her, she said.
