The parents of 15-year-old Faith-Ann Warford are calling for better inclusion at cadet training camps across Canada, after they say their daughter was sent home because of a food allergy.
The Argonaut Cadet Training Centre at CFB Gagetown offers several training courses, from introductory to advanced-level, for approximately 1,100 sea, army and air cadets from across Canada. Faith-Ann Warford had been approved to attend a six-week physical fitness training program. Faith-Ann’s father, Jason Warford, says her health questionnaire had been approved and she left home in Newfoundland on July 10 to attend the camp.
Warford tells Global News his daughter attended camps the past two years in Nova Scotia for similar programs, but this year the camp she wanted to attend was only available at CFB Gagetown.
He says things went well the first couple days, but then he received texts from Faith-Ann saying she wasn’t getting enough to eat to meet the physical demands of the program.
“We made a decision to call camp and just kind of have it addressed and just highlight to them that she needs to eat more- she needs to be aware of what’s available for her- not to make any special foods for her, but just to be able to eat what the kitchen staff was cooking right, just to make sure that everyone is education on the whole process,” Warford said.
Warford says that’s what he’s done the past two years at the HMCS Acadia Cadet Training Centre camps.
“The conversation went really well I thought. I say it was approximately three hours after that she was debriefed on being ‘RTU’d’ which means being returned to unit, or ‘sent home’,” Warford said.
Faith-Ann Warford arrived home Friday afternoon on July 15. Her parents are trying to boost her spirits, but say she’s still upset.
“It’s just really heartbreaking,” Faith-Ann Warford said.
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“”We are in the 21st century and allergies are on the rise and going to such a program where it’s all about inclusion, she’s being sent home because she has an egg allergy,” Warford said.
Argonaut Cadet Training Centre Commanding Officer Robert MacKay tells Global News that safety comes first and foremost in situations like this.
“We endeavor to accommodate all cadets with any of their allergies – in particular dietary concerns that they have based on the information that is provided by the professional medical team. In very few cases recommendations are made to return that cadet home to unit if we don’t feel we can safely accommodate them,” MacKay said.
CO MacKay says that although he was unable to speak specifially about Faith-Ann Warford’s case, he says decisions are made individually, based on the accomodations required, based on the training that the cadet is going through.
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Warford says he wants to see more inclusive camps across Canada.
The Argonaut Cadet Training Centre (CTC) is one of four Cadet Training Centres in Atlantic Canada.
According to literature put out by Cadets Canada, the Cadet Program is funded by the Department of National Defence in partnership with the civilian Navy League, Army Cadet League and Air Cadet League of Canada.
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