#WhatsYourExcuse: Canadian teen with terminal cancer urges others to vote

After receiving a devastating diagnosis of terminal cancer last week, an 18-year old Canadian woman is using her final days to inspire her fellow citizens to vote in the country’s upcoming election.

Maddison Yetman was diagnosed with cancer last week after finding strange bruising on her legs. She was told the advanced stage of the sarcoma meant she probably had only days left.

But in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Yetman flips through a series of signs, telling Canadians that despite her “very limited time”, she had managed to cast a ballot in her first federal election.

“If I can find the time to vote, you can find the time to vote,” Yetman says, finishing on a placard that reads: “#WhatsYourExcuse.”

“She has time left on this Earth that is measurable in hours and she took time to vote,” her uncle, Brent Williamson, told the Canadian Press. “And yet 30 to 35% of Canadians won’t bother to go vote.”

The video, which has been viewed nearly 500,000 times, has been shared by federal leaders, who praised the teen’s message

“I’m speechless. This is truly powerful, Maddison – thank you for your courage in the face of adversity,” Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party, tweeted. “Please watch Maddison’s video, and please hear the call to action. Your voice, like Maddison’s, deserves to be heard.”

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The prime minister, Justin Trudeau, thanked Yetman for “reminding us how precious a vote is”.

With less than a week before Canada’s general election, there is uncertainty surrounding voter turnout, following an acrimonious campaign. In early voting last week, Elections Canada reported 4.3m ballots – a surge of 29%. But experts cautioned that a holiday weekend – which made voting more convenient – was probably a large factor in encouraging early turnout.

Still, Yetman’s family is hopeful her message will resonate in the coming days.

“At her young age she understood how important our democracy is and our political system, and really wanted to play a part in it,” said Williamson. “[She] got to [vote] for one election and it’s pretty unfortunate she won’t be around to do it for others.”