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Regina man Rob Allison lost his wife Lisa to brain cancer in April.
Between the time of her diagnosis and her passing, Allison said his wife went through an unbelievably stressful and traumatic time — one that highlighted several flaws within Saskatchewan’s health-care system.
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Because of this, Allison made a promise that Lisa’s death would not be in vain, and that he would demand changes.
“I don’t think we realized how broken the system was until we were actually dealing with it,” Allison said at a Sask. NDP event on Friday.
He said the first 10 weeks of care after Lisa was diagnosed were marked by confusion, anxiety, fear and chaos.
He says that his wife dealt with several delays, miscommunications, doctors not showing up for scheduled appointments and a lack of proper guidance at times. Allison said Lisa’s glioblastoma (a form of brain cancer) was initially misdiagnosed as a sinus infection.
He said that Lisa once had to wait seven hours in excruciating pain while visiting the Regina Urgent Care Clinic.
“We had a tragedy in our family, but many people in this province are dealing with this on a daily basis,” Allison said.
“My goal here today is to make a difference and to for someone that’s going through what my wife went through — glioblastoma, brain cancer. It took her life very quickly, and we just want things to change for every person in this province that’s dealing with our health-care system.”
Allison said it was his intention to meet with Health Care Minister Jeremy Cockrill to share his story and demand change.
He said the ordeal had a profound impact on their son, Jayden.
Accompanied by his son, Jayden (left) and NDP’s Jared Clarke (right), Rob Allison said on Oct. 10, 2025, in Regina that the care process for his late wife was chaotic and confusing until she went into palliative care. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)
“I lost my mom in April. The pain and trauma I witnessed with our health-care system has traumatized me for life,” Jayden said at the event.
“I ask that you take the time to listen to my story in person and make a change for Saskatchewan people. My mom deserves the best, and so do they.”
Rob said health-care workers they dealt with tried their best but the problems the family faced stem from many of them being overworked and understaffed.
He said that Lisa received excellent treatment while in palliative care during the last week of her life.
Jared Clarke, Opposition critic for rural and remote health, said Allison’s ordeal highlighted several gaps within the system.
“Lisa didn’t get the care that she needed,” Clarke said.
“This was across the board, through every step of the way. And if we had someone like a nurse navigator who is connected with Lisa’s case and carries her all the way through, we wouldn’t have seen all of the missteps and all of the miscommunications and the lack of support for this family.”
In an emailed statement, the Government of Saskatchewan said Cockrill would be open to meeting with Allison and hearing his story firsthand.
“The Government of Saskatchewan takes situations like this very seriously. Behind every hospital bed, there are real people, parents, spouses, and children whose lives are deeply affected by the care they receive,” the statement read.
“These moments remind us why we must continue to listen, learn, and strengthen our health care system.”
The statement also said the government remains focused on supporting families standing by patients and honouring the dedication of health-care teams.
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