A mother who saw her five-year-old child fatally hit by a van last summer laments the lack of resources to endure the ordeal.
“I find it unfortunate. Support, I may not need it for my entire life, but certainly for a good part of it,” says Vanessa Cahill, feeling left to its own devices by the system.
Her life changed on July 7 when her young son Justin got on his bike to follow a vehicle pulling out of their parking lot.
“Not only did my son die that day, but in a way I did too. It’s hard to move forward,” Ms. Cahill is emotionally supportive.
The driver of the van, who had recently rented a room from Ms Cahill, then proceeded to reverse because he had forgotten something at home.
He never saw the child that was behind him fatally grabbing him. The vehicle did not have a rear view camera.
“I ran out, I started screaming. I picked up my already deceased son. He didn’t have his helmet on anymore, it was torn under the truck,” recalls the mother of two.
Photo courtesy of Vanessa Cahill
Justin, Benjamin and Vanessa Cahill some time before the tragedy.
No charges were brought against the driver of the van as it was an accident.
difficult months
The resident of Barraute in Abitibi-Témiscamingue claims to have suffered post-traumatic shock. Since then she has had memory loss, tremors and hallucinations.
“I’m still alive today, but I don’t think I can find the mother I was, the Vanessa I was. She left at the same time as my son,” explains Ms. Cahill.
Since the accident, the 31-year-old has had to go to psychotherapy regularly.
The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) paid about 70% of the bill during his first 15 sessions with a psychologist.
“When my 15 appointments are up, it’s like, ‘Fix your problems,'” she says.
Ms Cahill has also reached out to groups of bereaved parents on social media to help her get through this ordeal.
She was also able to receive sick pay from unemployment insurance for a few weeks. However, as these were temporary, Ms Cahill had to return to work due to lack of funds.
“I find that the resources are not suitable for these parents,” specifies the one who currently works in a ski center in the region.
Highlight: In 2021, 18 children under the age of 14 died in a road accident in Quebec, according to the latest data from SAAQ.
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