a dose of diginity

When Nina Begg and her husband moved from the Greater Toronto Area to the quiet hamlet of Lebanon, Ont., they purchased a generous piece of land to grow their own produce. 

The 54-year-old mother of four was looking forward to a fresh start: growing hot peppers with her husband, who had launched his own business selling homemade hot sauce. Nina was excited about starting a new customer service job that paid better than her previous role and offered a decent benefits plan. 

Life was good. Then, just a few short years into Nina’s fresh start, she hit her head and suffered a severe concussion. She soon lost her job as a product data coordinator, and while she found a new part-time role in customer service, she wouldn’t have access to her employer’s medication plan for the first three years.   

This meant she had no access to the vital medications she requires for her asthma, anxiety, and blood pressure conditions, a turn of events that could have had a devastating impact on Nina’s health and her finances. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.  
  


Nina’s doctor directed her to GreenShield’s Essential Medicines program. Nina signed up and immediately got the support she needed. “I currently take about $2,000 worth of prescriptions every year,” she says. “To have them help me with half of that is huge. Every bit where I can save is wonderful.”  
 


Due to the concussion and its resulting complications, it can be difficult on some days for Nina to get out of the house. Living in a rural location without retail stores nearby, the program’s home delivery feature made accessing her medicine much easier.   
  


“I don’t have to run to town, which is pretty big,” she says. GreenShield’s Essential Medicines program allows her to get what she needs at home so she can focus on her recovery.