Seven years ago, Payal Khazanchi and her family immigrated to Canada from Oman. At age five, Payal’s daughter Aakanksha was diagnosed with global developmental delay. Payal assumed they’d be connected with rehab services, and be able to meet other families like theirs.
But it didn’t happen.
“Because education and health are government-supported, I presumed if there was an issue with my daughter, the system would tell me where to go,” Payal says. “But instead of one single, straightforward path, the system is so fragmented that there are a million paths to reach what you need.”
It took Payal years to find Holland Bloorview, and it was only due to a chance encounter at a baking class when an acquaintance mentioned the hospital. Before that, Payal had quit her job to take care of Aakanksha, who is now 12. She spent hours on public transit travelling to multiple spots all over the city for services like physio, dentistry, orthotics and optometry.
Payal grew up in India before moving to Oman. She says Canadian health providers need to understand that disability is stigmatized in both countries, and in other areas in the region. “Newcomers come with the mindset that disability is a taboo, and you shouldn't talk about it. They may be concerned that their child's disability will affect their legal status, such as permanent residency or Canadian citizenship. We didn’t have any family here and we didn’t know anyone in a similar situation.”
No one helped Payal navigate the system, so she had to “start from scratch,” searching for resources online.
“For the first three years, I didn’t know there was federal and provincial funding for families like ours.” For example, Payal’s daughter wears glasses that cost $750 a pair, but no one explained that a part of it could be covered under these programs.
Once Aakanksha was seen by a developmental pediatrician at Holland Bloorview, she began receiving therapies and other services under one roof. “It saves me a lot of time running around as a parent. Holland Bloorview is like a one-stop for resources.”
Payal says Holland Bloorview can better support newcomers by identifying them early on, and connecting them with a social worker and a family leader, a parent in a similar situation who volunteers at the hospital.
“The social worker has the knowledge, awareness and resources to share with someone new. I only got a social worker after six years in the country. She showed me about 12 forms. In three years of searching online, I had found eight, and filled them in myself. Getting this information, and filling the paperwork out, is a challenge for newcomers. We also need respite, and we don’t know where to go or who to trust.”
Payal says meeting Jean Hammond and Beth Dangerfield, parents who run our family leadership program, was life-changing. “It was wonderful to know that I’m not the only one struggling, and that I could talk with someone who would understand if I was overwhelmed or anxious. If I had been connected with a family leader earlier on, I wouldn’t have felt so lonely.”
Now Payal is giving back as a family leader herself. “I want to be a voice for immigrants who were like me,” she says. “I want to be someone they can talk to, who can share what I missed out on when I was first here. I want them to feel that they're accepted and can gather more information—and that they're not the only one.”
She’s doing a master’s in adult education and community development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. “I'd like to help other immigrants come out of their shell and help their child feel comfortable in their own skin. I'd like to help newcomers navigate the system and share the knowledge I've gained over the years. If I can encourage someone to access supports, and change their mindset, based on my lived experience, I will have contributed my bit.”
Payal recently interviewed eight Holland Bloorview parents to get their feedback on a research idea she has where one child with a special talent will mentor another. “When we go to the hospital or school, the focus is on the child’s disability and what’s wrong. I want to change the lens from what’s wrong to what’s strong? If a child has some innate abilities and strengths, let’s focus on those. The parents I spoke with said they believe their children have abilities that can be built upon. They’d like to see their child sharing their skills and feeling good about themselves, as opposed to always being at the receiving end of a support person or therapist or care worker. They feel their children can not only receive learning, but impart it as well.”
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