Monica Lansing

Monica Lansing was a terminally ill mother who had her three children
taken away from her on the night she died.

Monica's Story

Monica Lansing’s entire life was centered around her three children. She worked very hard to support them and provide them with a safe and loving home. Monica and her ex-husband, had a joint custody agreement, in regards to their children, but Monica had primary guardianship of all three children and they lived with her full time.

4 years ago, she fled from her husband , who continued to harass her even though she had moved to another province He employed members of his family, specifically a brother-in-law, to watch her house and enter into her home when she was at work. His brother-in-law is a former police officer and paramedic and is now the subject of a complaint filed with the Alberta College of Paramedics.

For three years Monica was granted day-to-day care and was the primary guardian of the children until she became sick. When Monica was diagnosed with Leukemia he took her children away from her and cut off his support payments. Contrary to what he told the courts and the newspapers, he uprooted the children from their schools and friends and relocated them to British Columbia without notification or her consent.

When Monica was hospitalized the harassment escalated to a point where a restraining order was granted against her ex-husband, to protect her while she undergoing cancer treatments. In retaliation, Monica did not see her children for a total of over 16 weeks.

When Monica’s cancer treatments failed she was moved back to the hospital in Lethbridge. She wanted to be near her family and be in the new house she had bought for her children just two weeks before being stricken with cancer.

It is the family's contention that when she was in the Lethbridge Regional Hospital her ex-husband’s sister, who is a registered nurse, accessed her private medical records and continually harassed her. While Monica was on life support her ex-husband's sister delayed bringing the children to her beside for over an hour and only did so after the urging of the children’s counselor. She is currently the subject of an investigation by CARNA. You can read the complaint letter here.

The harassment did not end with Monica’s death. The Lethbridge City Police, acting on her ex-husbands behalf, subjected her family to several more visits. At one point, while the family was planning their sister’s funeral, her ex-husband arrived with the police and subjected them to a 4-½ hour call. They had come once again to remove articles and "items" from her house. Her family was asked to turn over their sister’s wedding rings. This was all documented on video tape.

The family is currently filing a complaint with the Police department regarding their actions in this matter.

The time line provided here will provide the facts and details about this campaign of terror

To view the video about Monica Lansing, a terminally ill mother who had her children taken away from her on the night she died, please visit www.leukikia.ca

Source

Recent Media Coverage: The article in the Lethbridge Herald was a disservice to Monica Lansing's struggles
and we are saddened by the lack of "balanced" coverage.

Worse than dying?
by Sherri Gallant, Lethbridge Herald
Jun 17, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/ryr46

Sample letter/email:

You can find contact info for your MP at this pinpoint URL:
www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E

Dear [Name of your MP]

I urge you to give your support to Bill C-252 An Act to Amend the Divorce Act
to allow terminally ill patients the right to see their children before dying, which
will receive second reading on June 5th, 2006.

I would also urge you to have your colleagues -- across the political spectrum --
support this bill.

Thank you
[Your Name}
[Include your home address if you want a response]

cc: -- please consider copying to:
Rick Casson, MP Casson.R@parl.gc.ca
DAWN Ontario, dawnontario@sympatico.ca

Dear friends,

I am forwarding a recent post from Andrea Glover that includes a link to a video which includes her sister Monica's 3 children being removed from her house at night by a police officer on the same day she was released from hospital. She died hours later without her children by her side.

Although I didn't know Monica her experience touched my soul in a way that nothing has recently. No one, no man or woman, should ever have to experience what Monica, her children and the rest of her family have.

It's useless to focus any time or energy on discussion of what a prick her ex-husband was for refusing her access to her children in her final hours.

It's more productive to redirect whatever emotions this video draws in you to support legislation that would allow terminally ill patients access to see their children before dying.

Monica could have been my sister, my friend, my neighbour. She could have been me and she could have been you. So I stopped crying long enough to email Andrea Glover to volunteer to programme the website she provided a link to where the only active link so far, is to this compelling video.

Let's WALK THE TALK women! Take action to prevent anyone else from experiencing what Monica, her children and the rest of their family were made to endure.

Please contact your MP today to support Bill-C-252 . The Bill is scheduled for second reading on June 5th, 2006. (First reading was May 4, 2006)

You can find contact info for your MP at this pinpoint URL:
www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E

Barbara Anello
Acting Chair
DAWN Ontario
http://dawn.thot.net

- - - - copy starts here

Mothers, women all:

Please take 7 minutes out of your lives and watch the last agonizing hours
of my sister's life. You'll never be the same after this video. We aren't.

http://www.putfile.com/leukikia

Lend your support to Bill C-252 An Act to Amend the Divorce Act to allow
terminally ill patients the right to see their children before dying, which
will going for its second reading on June 5th, 2006.

http://www.rickcasson.com/casson/contact.php

Please give me your feedback.

Andrea Glover

- - - - copy ends here

Links

Bill C-252 An Act to Amend the Divorce Act
Source: Hansard (TOC)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/016_2006-05-04/han016_1005-e.htm

Divorce Act

Mr. Rick Casson (Lethbridge, CPC) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-252, An Act to amend the Divorce Act (access for spouse who is terminally ill or in critical condition).

He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table this bill to amend the Divorce Act. It would allow terminally ill or critically ill parents the right to see their children one last time. It adds a section to the Divorce Act.

I hope, when this comes back to the House for debate, that I can get all party support on this issue.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Bill C-252 An Act to Amend the Divorce Act
First Reading May 4, 2006
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/private/C-252/C-252_1/C-252_cover-E.html

MP contact info:
www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E

Monica's video
http://www.putfile.com/leukikia

MP Rick Casson's contact page
http://www.rickcasson.com/casson/contact.php

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