Palliative care patient Diane Sims leads fight to vaccinate all health care workers

The sun’s shining and Bob Dylan is on the stereo.

Life was good for Diane Sims at 10:30 Tuesday morning.

Little things that give her a bit of joy are important because she’s in palliative care. Every minute is precious. The significance of every happy moment is magnified.

This is what motivates the journalist, author and part-time painter in her campaign to get all health care workers vaccinated for COVID-19.

“I had no choice but to stand up for those who are too afraid and for those who can’t speak up,” said Sims, who was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie. “I knew how to approach the media and I had a certain amount of access.”

Her story has been covered by a variety of outlets including The Globe and Mail, The London Free Press, The Manitoulin Expositor and Lawyer’s Daily. It was also brought up in the Legislature at Queen’s Park. 

The word is getting out, but change is elusive.

She said it’s appalling that unvaccinated PSWs and health care workers can come into her house in Stratford Ont. and work so closely and intimately with her. Sims must be fed, bathed and changed. 

She has multiple sclerosis, is an ovarian cancer survivor and copes with other ailments. 

Her immune system is severely compromised.

Sims says she was left with no choice but to refuse home care from unvaccinated workers after the London-based agency she dealt with for five years declined her request to send fully vaccinated staff only. 

She couldn’t even ask if those taking care of her were vaccinated, although some freely volunteered the information.

“I am not a lawyer but a writer in palliative condition who depends on PSWs five or six times daily. I must know if they are COVID-19 vaccinated. I am immunocompromised and extremely at high risk of contracting the virus, though double-vaccinated. The provincially funded agency that employs my PSWs won’t divulge vaccine information, citing privacy rights. This, despite a blunt letter from my physician stating the virus could kill me,” she wrote in a Lawyer’s Daily article on Oct. 28.

Of the approximately 12 care workers who regularly visited Sims’s home, four told her they are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

“If you go to a restaurant you have to show proof of vaccination and photo ID,” said Sims when pointing out the absurdity of the situation.

Premier Doug Ford’s government left the mandate decisions up to individual hospitals and health care providers.

In a statement released Nov. 3, Ford said it was a "complex issue" and said his decision not to issue a mandate avoids a situation that could lead to staff shortages in hospitals. Ford told Toronto reporters that he would leave the decision up to individual hospitals, which also applies to homecare providers.

“I felt sucker punched,” said Sims. “I can’t give up because there are too many people in home care.”

“Many already had to wait far too long for the Ford government to bring vaccine mandates to long-term care,” Algoma Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha told The Expositor, where Sims was once editor. “If Ford doesn’t finish the job by making vaccines mandatory for all health care workers, he’s simply emboldening unvaccinated employees to work in homecare and condemning people to make a dangerous and painful choice.”

“I have an amazing husband (Dennis) who takes care of me,” said Sims.

He comes home to help clean her when needed and is working reduced hours.

“Financially it’s hard, but we have to do it,” said Sims.

She said some unvaccinated support workers shared conspiratorial theories with her such as the vaccine was an evil poison, it contained microchips, the second dose boils your organs and faith in God would prevent COVID.

Sims tries to understand where these people are coming from and said it’s important to listen.

“It’s split families and friendships,” she said of the debate around COVID.

It frustrates her to see so much misinformation on Facebook and the Internet. There was a time when people were more trusting of science.

“When we were children we were all vaccinated for five or six diseases before we started school. Our parents didn’t know what was in those vaccines.”

What message does she have for anti-vaxxers?

“Perhaps health care is not the field they should be in,” she said. “I would beg you to listen to and read more credible news sources and talk to your doctor.”

It would be wise not to underestimate Sims and her fight to get things changed.

Her resiliency and grace in the face of adversity is nothing short of remarkable.

She grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. Her parents were Edgar (Gar) and Evelyn Sims. Gar was part of the city’s maritime scene and Sims has numerous photos and souvenirs related to that history in her Stratford home.

At age 17, Diane Sims was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The effects of this progressive disease didn’t stop her from going to university and having a career in journalism, which took her to The London Free Press, CBC Radio North and The Manitoulin Expositor.

She finished her masters in Ottawa and was eventually offered a job back in Sault Ste. Marie as a corporate editor for what was the Ontario Lottery Corporation (now OLG).

Her return to the Sault coincided closely with her sister’s death from ovarian cancer.

Not long after her sister’s death, Sims was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was given about a year to live.

The author of five books defied those odds and continues to defy them.

One of her recent stories was published in a book called Turning Point put together by Exisle Publishing in Australia. She also just sold a painting.

Sims has so much to live for.

“When Dennis is full-time caregiver he treats me with patience, gentleness and such love even though my system renders me a 63-year-old baby,” she wrote in Lawyer’s Daily. ‘I’m not ready ever for you to die,’ he whispered recently. 

“But I am dying and Dennis and I still have choices. Death by COVID-19 takes away my choice.”