In honour of Mother’s Day, Global News Morning asked viewers to submit nominations for moms who deserve the title of “Supermom.”
Chelsea Phaneuf, 11, saw this as an opportunity to nominate her mother, Lisa Bernais, who strives as a Supermom with a smile despite going through hardships.
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As the first of our three Supermom winners, Phaneuf and Bernais were invited to share their story with Global’s Laura Casella live on air.
“My dad passed away in 2012 and she has double duty. My brother Nathaniel has Hunter syndrome and demands a lot of care,” as Chelsea read the nomination while Bernais swept tears away.
“I think my mom deserves something real nice.”
Bernais’ 15-year-old son, Nathaniel, suffers from a rare disorder where he lacks an enzyme that breaks down certain molecules which causes dangerous buildups and blockages.
He cannot process forms of glucose which resulted in developmental issues and swelling throughout his body.
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There are three known cases of Hunter syndrome in Quebec, and treatments can cost up to $650,000 per year — which was a challenge to find funding for when Nathaniel was first diagnosed.
That was the easy part. Prepping Nathaniel’s food can take up to an hour and a half per meal as he can only tolerate pureed food.
He also suffers from sleep apnea and needs machinery to help monitor his condition, which regularly keeps Bernais up late at night.
“I’ve learned a lot of nursing duties that I never thought would have been part of being a mom,” Bernais said.
“I think I’m doing something right.”
Congratulations Lisa, you’re an inspiration to us at Global News Morning and we hope that we can make your Mother’s Day a little more special.
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