Widows of fallen first responders fight for compensation

Karen Green and Luanne Donahoe share a heartbreaking bond. Their husbands, both firefighters, died in the line of duty. The two women met for the first time in person at Green’s home in Amherstview, just west of Kingston.

The two women shared pictures and stories of their loved ones.

Donahoe lost her husband, Capt. Paul Donahoe, in October 2007. The 51-year-old was with the Markham Fire Department for 25 years when he developed an occupational disease. The veteran firefighter was in and out of hospitals for five years. Some of his treatments included chemotherapy, being put on blood thinners, as well as two neuro-surgeries.

“I turned to my husband and said, ‘You know, if you knew when you joined the fire department what you know now, would you still have been a firefighter? And he said, ‘Absolutely,'” said Donahoe.

Ten-and-a-half years later, and Donahoe says she’s still grieving not only for her husband but also for her.

“It’s been really challenging, our son was only nine when he died and he would often say to me, ‘I only got to know Daddy for nine years,’ which is tough.”

Green lost her husband Patrick Pidgeon almost two years ago. The volunteer Loyalist Township firefighter was killed when he responded to a call at an apartment complex in Amherstview in July 2016. Pidgeon died at the scene. He was only 45.

“Not a day goes by, not a moment in the day goes by that I don’t think about him and miss him,” said Green. “That the person that you leaned on and shared your life with and had plans for your future with was no longer here. Putting one foot in front of the other and just trying to get through the day is difficult.”

The women are now working together, along with the Canadian Critical Incident Stress Foundation to tap into a new federal grant. The Memorial Grant for First Responders is intended for families of eligible police, firefighters and paramedics, including volunteers, who died as a result of their duties. The one-time, tax-free benefit begins April 1, 2018, and is eligible for families of first responders who died on or after that date.

Both Donahoe and Green say they’re grateful the federal government created the memorial grant but add it’s a double-edged sword because they don’t qualify for it.

“I think this is a grant that is hugely important to these people and their lives, especially with mental-health benefits that so many can’t afford. My husband fought 25 years in his community to protect it so I feel that is worthy of being recognized,” said Donahoe.

Green reached out to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale in January of this year. She received a letter back from Goodale that expressed his sympathies but explained the grant is only for those who die on April 1 or after.

The letter went on to say the federal government “is committed to supporting families of public safety officers who have fallen in the line of duty.”

“It’s hard to put a date on something like this. I think that the government has a responsibility to acknowledge the pain of suffering of the families that have gone before this bill,” said Green.

Both women have also reached out to their local members of Parliament for help including Hastings-Lennox and Addington MP Mike Bossio. During a phone interview with CKWS News, Bossio called it a tragic situation, but adds he’s been in conversation with the minister and the Parliamentary secretary to see if anything can be done.

“The difficulty you have is, in any situation like this, is you got to set a start date for it, typically in these circumstances when the legislation is passed is when the start date begins. So we’re working with the minister and the department to see what can be done,” said Bossio.

The Canadian Critical Incident Stress Foundation is also doing what it can to help. The national organization has created an online petition through change.org to help people like Donahoe and Green.

That’s actually where the two widows met. At the national organization’s Camp FACES which stands for Family and Children of Emergency Services.

“The military already receives a benefit, our first responders don’t,” said Kelsey Bonas, the chief operating officer for the Canadian Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

“We’ve only launched the petition two weeks ago, we have almost 4,000 signatures already and that’s just through the power of social media. We haven’t even had the opportunity yet to network with our MPs. We’re hoping that if we can get enough signatures, we can show them that the country stands behind their first responders.”

As for Donahoe and Green, both say they will continue to fight.

“Why is the loss of my husband any less important? Because it is before April 1 than after,” said Donahoe.

“A year-and-a-half later, 10 years later, this is a daily thing we have to endure,” expressed Green.