Bernice Catcheway, long-time MMIWG advocate in Manitoba, in ICU with COVID-19
The family of a long-time advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Manitoba is thanking the community for support as their mother battles COVID-19 in the ICU.
Bernice Catcheway is the mother of Jennifer Catcheway, who went missing on her 18th birthday in 2008.
Catcheway began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on Oct. 6, and tested positive for the virus on Oct. 9, said her family. She was admitted to the hospital in Portage la Prairie on Oct. 12, and then transferred to Winnipeg the next day. She is currently in the ICU at Grace Hospital.
“As far as we know right now, my mom is in stable condition while on life support,” said Willie Starr, Catcheway’s son.
He said he was able to speak with doctors over video call Thursday morning to get an update on his mother, and said he’s proud of the work that staff are doing to care for his mother.
“They’re doing the best that they can,” said Starr. “Her situation remains the same, although they did give us a glimmer of hope this morning that she is doing better than she was yesterday, so we’re all hopeful she will continue moving forward with that.”
Starr said his father Wilfred and the three foster children his parents are caring for have also tested positive for COVID-19. He said they are recovering well at home.
The family said Catcheway was not vaccinated but was considering getting the shot shortly before she got sick.
“She does definitely wear her mask, so she does take the precautions when she does go out, so we don’t know exactly where it happened,” said Tamara Sanderson, Catcheway’s daughter.
The family said they’ve been leaning on each other for support during this time.
“We’ve been praying every day. It’s all we can do right now. It’s out of our hands,” said Starr.
Catcheway’s children said the family has received an outpouring of support from people whose lives have been touched by their mother.
“For our mom, what she’s been doing for the work in advocating and raising awareness for the missing and murdered, we just want to continue to stand for that same cause while our mom is here, and she can’t really do her work right now,” said Sanderson.
“We just want to put the call out there still that if anybody had any information about our sister Jennifer, please come forward and just still reach out. We still need answers and closure.”
The family said Catcheway will likely be in an induced coma until she can breathe on her own. They’re hopeful she can make a full recovery.
“We’re not out of the woods just yet. It’s going to take some time for her to recover,” Starr said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.