Mom who says she has Stage 3 cancer calls out politician in viral video about health care crisis

A Facebook video of a mother in tears has more than a million views after she challenged a Canadian premier to look her in the face and tell her that there is no health care crisis in the province as she faces a Stage 3 cancer diagnosis -- years after she says her issues started and her concerns were brushed aside.

The video, posted just days ago, calls out Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil. As of this writing, it has more than a million views.

Canada has a universal, publicly-funded health care system

The Chronicle Herald reported the woman is Inez Rudderdam. She is seen in the video with a head wrap and tears in her eyes, directly looking into the camera. 

“I am a 33-year-old mother. I went undiagnosed with anal cancer for two years because I did not have access to a family doctor and when I went to the ERs I was brushed off.”

Rudderdam continued, “It’s OK right? Because they caught it. They caught it when it was Stage 3. I fought for my life but there’s no health-care crisis … Thirty rounds of radiation to my pelvis, which has left me barren and infertile. At 33, I am in menopause because when my tumor was a polyp, I did not have access to a family doctor and the ERs wouldn’t help me.”

Rudderham added that additional services, such as counseling that she’s been requesting since January, will have to wait until July.

“What about my daughter, my four year-old-daughter, who doesn’t have me there, fully, because I need help and I’m not receiving it?” she said.

By the end of the video, she challenged the politician again, saying, “This is the face of the health-care crisis in Nova Scotia and I dare you to tell me otherwise.”

The particulars of Rudderdam's case are unclear, particularly why she didn't have access to a family doctor. KPRC2 has reached out for comment and will share the details if we hear back.

The video post has more than 4,000 comments with many voicing support for Rudderdam.