March 30, 2026

By Danielle Dufour

Janelle Gellvear, a 27-year-old from Saskatchewan, was diagnosed with a severe degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis when she was 22 years old.

“I don’t feel like chronic and invisible illness experience is represented in media coverage,” said Gellvear. “I think that is part of why it can feel so lonely and like no one understands. It adds another difficult layer to the illness because it feels like we have to do research (again) if we want to find a story to relate to, or something to feel seen and heard.”

The Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of Health reported almost 430,000 Saskatchewan residents or one-third (33.3%) of the population had at least one of 15 chronic illnesses in their lifetime (2022/23).

The Top five chronic illnesses people in Saskatchewan are experiencing are high blood pressure (hypertension), asthma, osteoarthritis, diabetes 20+ years, and COPD.

The exact cost for managing a chronic illness is unknown because there are many variables, including the type of chronic illnesses and treatment or medication, if needed.

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