Climbing Kili for Heart & Stroke and our Dad

Hi Everyone, in honour of our father John Slade, my brother Brett and I have chosen to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In January of 2017 at the age of 73 my father suffered a significant stroke. This set the stage for a year of uncertainty, fear, confusion and eventually acceptance that things would never be the same for him or our family. Moving a parent into a long term care home is a heartbreaking decision so many children and spouses make everyday. Over the next five and half years we were fortunate to have so many great visits and have wonderful chats with the father we always knew and loved. He continued to give me valuable business and life advice until the days before he passed. However, the consistency of personality and strength of our father to take care of himself and remember where he was or what was happening at any given time was no longer there. The quality of life changed drastically. The Heart and Stroke Foundation rallies the best scientific minds around critical heart and brain issues. Their research breakthroughs help advance, diagnosis, treat and repair the damaged hearts and debilitating effects of strokes. It’s an uphill battle, just like our climb. We’re hoping in his honour we can contribute to this foundation’s initiatives and the efforts that ultimately give people more quality time with their aging family members. All donation dollars go straight to the foundation.