Lucas Moffitt had a long-term plan when he came to GreenHouse but he figured that it was too soon to put it into motion, so he worked on a different project. When that project faced obstacles, he began thinking about the project that was closer to his heart: making sure that no kid or family diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome had to go through what Lucas himself had experienced.
Although at least one in 100 Canadians has the neurological disorder, the healthcare system doesn’t offer a seamless experience for dealing with the challenges that come with the syndrome and its related disorders. In Ontario, for instance, there is one medical clinic for people under 18 with Tourette’s and one for adults. The adult clinic has one doctor for more than 100,000 patients.
Having experienced the patchwork of information, care and support, the 3rd year Health Studies student with a minor in psychology planned to become a psychiatrist specializing in Tourette’s. But, at GreenHouse, he learned it wasn’t too soon to begin making a difference.
“I thought as an undergrad I couldn’t do anything yet, but GreenHouse showed me I could and gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone.”
Lucas applied lessons learned on his previous Workplace Innovation Project so that he was able to reach out to new contacts, make connections and design a program.
He became involved with a program called the Leaky Brake Shop for kids with Tourette’s. This summer, he is running a resiliency and self-advocacy program through the Leaky Brake Shop, as well as counselling at a Tourette’s camp. But at the core of his work, Lucas is writing a book to help newly diagnosed people with Tourette’s navigate the medical system, with the support of someone who knows exactly what it’s like. He hopes to have the book available by early 2020.
“When you live with something that makes you feel like one in a million, it can be hard to relate to people and hard to even find people who can help you,” he says. “After living with that gap growing up, I knew I didn’t want anyone else to go through that.”
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