Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Crooks, Jason
367 Brock Street
Kingston, ON K7L 1T3

Dear Dr. Stephenson,

My name is Jason Crooks, and I am petitioning the faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of one year.

My grandmother (on my father's side) was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease many years ago and it took a big tole on a lot of my family. She was the mother to many sons and daughters, but my father was the youngest and often referred to as the closest to her as he was the one that housed her. She ended up moving around a year after the diagnosis into my aunt's house where she needed care almost 24/7. This resulted in me not being able to see her as often as I once used to. There were many points in my childhood where I was being “raised” or taken care of by my grandmother, so I was so used to her being around. Having her move out to a place almost an hour and a half away did affect my grade upper high-school years. However, I got used to it only because I was still able to talk to her on the phone and see her once a month. The Alzheimer's progressed very quickly resulting in many of the people she loved being forgotten, which included my whole “direct” family. With my aunt being as old as she was and not capable of providing my grandmother with the care she needed, my grandmother moved back to Jamaica where she had other children who could directly care for her. With COVID also being a problem, my family thought Jamaica was the best place for her. This change also was also pushed to get my grandmother out of the harsh weather conditions that came with living through Canada’s winters. The move to Jamaica happened around 2-3 years ago and with my grandmother being around 87 at this point we knew that it would not be getting any better for her.

Her care was going well but took a turn for the worse at the end summer of last year. At this point, I was only able to hear from my grandmother through WhatsApp calls and messages, and it was not often I heard from her. At this point I was getting ready to start my second year at Queens and move out of residence and the school. I was around a little less than a month into that year going smoothly, but that was quickly halted when I received a message from my father saying his mother was hospitalized in Jamaica. This happened in early October, and it really killed my motivation. I saw my grandmother who practically raised me, forgetting everyone she knew, in so much pain, and in the hospital and there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted to be home more than I wanted to be at school, and my mental health really took a hit. This paired with the fact that my father, at that time, had a change in his insurance policy at work, which meant I was unable to receive a refill for my medication that I take daily. Last year was so hard for me due to all the travelling from Kingston to Mississauga, to see my family because that was all I wanted to be around at that point. I wanted to be around family and that was the only thing that seemed like it was helping, but home was just far from school.

She was hospitalized several times over the past year and unfortunately passed away at the age of 89, on May 17, 2024. I was unable to be at school and away from my family for most of the exam period and the end of school, which affected my classes. I was present when she was laid to rest in Jamaica on June 1st. This helped me process what happened and not having to see my grandma suffering and in pain really has helped me and my mental state. I have made my peace with my grandma being laid to rest and I am happy she is no longer in pain.

P.S. - If you have any questions feel free to reach out, I will gladly go into more detail about anything if needed.

Thank you,
Jason Crooks