As a fellow citizen, concerned parent and a friend, many of us felt the terrible heartache when our friends 4-year-old daughter Everest Valasco-Raralio was tragically unable to receive the timely critical care she needed due to our local urgent care centre's operating hours. Her life was cut short by unexpected respiratory distress, an ailment our family understands all too well the dire importance of immediate medical attention where every second counts. 

However, that fateful night, our community’s urgent care centre was closed, a situation that should never occur when precious lives are on the line. It is a fact that in Canada, 1 out of every 13 people suffers from asthma (“Fast Stats,” The Lung Association – Ontario, 2017). With such numbers and a rapidly growing community in Cochrane, and spill over healthcare needs coming from Calgary, we must consider the importance of accessible health care for those most vulnerable, and in particular our children, who deserve every chance in life. 

Our request is clear: the extension of urgent care centre operating hours to 24/7. Extending these hours ensures that immediate medical attention is always available in emergencies. This change will drastically improve outcomes for asthma and respiratory sufferers in our community and potentially save lives.

Loss is personal, it is heavy, and unfortunately, it is irreversible. But let's act together now to ensure that not another beautiful soul is lost due to such circumstances. Let's rally as a community and request that no doors be closed when lives are at stake.

Please, sign this petition and advocate for the extension of our local care centre's operating hours to 24/7. Every signature brings us one step closer to preventing another tragedy.