It has taken some time to understand what happened to
Magill’s physical health although he will tell you he knew all along that what
many doctors suspected was wrong. At first he was diagnosed with dengue fever
syndrome but eventually it was recognized he had a form of reactive arthritis
most likely caused by a bacterial infection.
Often referred to as Reiter’s syndrome, Magill believes his
illness was caused by his work in Haiti protecting the tip of the spear. While
on deployment Magill worked to eradicate illness for his fellow soldiers which
included inspecting sewers, pest control and sanitation practices.
Magill’s illness got progressively worse as doctors tried to
treat a myriad of symptoms from loss of vision to impaired kidney function. But
as difficult as it was to understand what was happening to his body it took
even longer to diagnose what was happening to his brain. Eric suffers from PTSD
but this went undiagnosed for years after his medical release from the Canadian
Forces.
A few years back Magill decided it was time to end it all,
his plan was to drown himself in the river. Having lost 12 years to illness he
felt a burden to his family and was calculating what benefits they might get
from his death. Essentially performing a cost benefit analysis on the potential
financial rewards his family would receive versus the grief this action would
cause. Magill credits the taxi driver he called to take him to the river with
snapping him out of this funk. He spent the night in a motel and began attempting
to put the pieces back together.
In April of 2015, after years of countless operations, Magill underwent amputation of his left leg. Despite being an amputee and his well-documented medical history Magill found himself in October without the use of a power wheelchair required for him to get around. According to him Veterans Affairs took back the chair. By November Magill was protesting in front of the VAC office in downtown Trenton.
After holding a sit-in for nearly a month Magill received
his replacement wheelchairs but for him this all part of a culture of denial
that exists within the Veterans Affairs department. Living in Trenton I often
run in to Canadian Veterans many tell me that VAC has taken care of them fine
but they acknowledge that is not the case for everyone.
Talking with Eric about his years fighting for benefits sets
off a trigger and you can see the amiable and affable former soldier get agitated,
it is clear that his fight with VAC has taken its toll. Yet for everything that
has happened Magill says the protesting, being outside talking to people about
his situation has been therapeutic. Some days he wears his red PTSD shirt to
let folks know that a person can have PTSD and not be dangerous.
While Eric no longer spends his days freezing outside on
Front St. in Trenton he still attends protests occasionally on Parliament Hill
in Ottawa after which he usually requires a few day’s rest to recover. Magill
continues to fight for himself and other Veterans that do not get approval for
the services they require for their well-being and to maintain their basic
quality of life. In time Magill will most likely lose his other leg as his
severe osteoporosis takes its toll. For now, though his leg allows him extra
maneuverability, mobility and because he can flex his ankle enough to brake his
license to drive. Eric is adapting but simply wishes support from VAC came a
little easier.