Sickboy

This week the gang hear from past guest and mental health advocate Mark Henick all about the implications of Bill-C7 on people with mental illness. MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) has been available to those who were staring death in the face, living with an incurable and end stage illness. Now Canada has opened the doors to allow folks suffering from mental illness the same access to end their life in the name of ending suffering. Although according to Mark, this seems to be an easy out. Instead of offering people with mental illness the very much needed resources to care for their mental health, the government has decided to allow them to take the route of assisted death. Does it boil down to money? Lack of public education? Lack of will? We get serious this week and tackle something that deserves quite a bit of attention.

On April 6, 2018, Kaleb's life changed forever. It was like any other day, traveling with his team on their way to a game when all of a sudden everything went black. When Kaleb finally woke up in the hospital four days later he was told about the tragic incident that took the lives of 16 of his closest friends. The Humboldt Broncos bus crash is a tragedy that shook the entire planet and Kaleb shares with us how he has used the power of a positive attitude to beat the odds and strive to live the best life he can live. Be sure to check out Crossroads, his new book.

Between pranks and equine therapy there are lots of ways to make your hospital stay a bit more enjoyable. Speaking of equine therapy, have you ever heard of Dr. Payo? It's enough to bring a tear to your eye. You'll love him and the work he does about 100x more than Taylor loves Loki. We also cover a WILD medical case about a collapsed iris. Oh, and Brian finally admits to being a Grey's Anatomy poser. 10 episodes maybe?! Get outta here!

Tranna Wintour, a performer and co-host of CBC’s Chosen Family podcast, joins the hosts of Sickboy to discuss the effect of the pandemic on the arts, mental health and finding connection through podcasting.

What's scarier? Being deployed to a war zone to fight a foreign enemy? Or going to battle against a foreign cancer that is eating away at you from the inside out? Brandi Benson is no stranger to either experience. The gang chat with her about the experience of being pulled from the ranks in order to navigate the challenges of fighting a rare form of bone cancer. “Basic training had taught me how to fight, how to use a gun, throw grenades, how to push past my physical limits, combat techniques, and how to defend my country—but this was a different kind of battle. It crept up on me like a stealth enemy in the night. I was not ready for such an attack from within.” - Brandi Benson

It's been one full year since Sickboy wondered "Wut Da Hek Is COVID?" We kickstart FGF with a throwback to the preacher who introduced us to the true meaning of death by bass. Zoom court hearings! A new meme machine that shows us how little Zoom etiquette some folks have. Then the gang talk about a man who did some snowcaine while eating toxic blowfish liver. Could this be the beginning of a new FGF segment: Florida Man or Nah.

Asante Haughton is a mental health advocate who looks at the challenges surrounding mental illness through a lens of race. Born in Toronto, Asante draws from his own life experience as a Black man living with mental illness and the system (or lack thereof) to support him. Asante is the co-founder of Reach Out Response Network, a non-police mental health emergency service, led by clinicians and peer workers from the communities they serve. The pilot is set to begin in Toronto.

Meet Lucy Greco. She is the Accessibility Evangelist and this week she took the fellas to church!! Tune in as she teaches her newest disciples all about inclusive design and how accessible design benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities. From washing machines to AI she covers it all.

Move over Jolene, there's a new babe in town and her name is Moderna! The Backwoods Barbie shows the world how to get vaccinated in style. The gang discuss the importance of Japan's newly-appointed Minister Of Loneliness whose job is to manage the country's first rise in suicides in 11 years. Ever hear of hikikomori? Then, what does one do with a 9-day grade IV boner? Go to the doctor, that's what. We go deep into the world of Priapism. Apologies to Louise if we completely butcher all anatomy portions of this episode. We didn't have any professionals to keep us in line.

"DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS?!" Dylan is a health advocate, fundraiser and public speaker. He is also no stranger to cancer treatment. Since being diagnosed with Lymphoma in his second year of university, he has gone through the cancer battle another two times! That's enough cancer to make most normal folks feel pretty gosh darn down and out but Dylan is one the most radiantly positive guests that has ever stepped up to the mic on Sickboy. We talk about his positive mental attitude, his fascinating experience with stem cell transplants, and how all of this has taken a toll on his mental health!