Kindness takes Flight!

      2020 was a particularly a hard year for everyone but what Bret and Lisa faced nothing could have prepared them for it.  Bret and Lisa both had long standing careers in public service.  Bret's love for Aviation and flying is evident to anyone that knows him, he began his career as a Helicopter Pilot back in 1991, he flew the skies in many areas of the world from Africa, to the Northern parts of Canada and of course here in Nova Scotia to name a few. Lisa,  started her career as a public school teacher but decided later that she would go back to school and dedicated 21 years of her life to the medical field, and the last 11 years as a palliative care nurse.               

      One day in July, during one of Lisa's regular shifts, she noticed that she wasn't feeling herself and in the midst of the pandemic, she was asked to leave her place of work and to make her way home. On her way home, her vehicle went off the road, over a 30ft bank and into the river below.  Lisa later learned that her early morning experience was associated with what was later diagnosed with Dissociate Amnesia, and the injuries sustained from the accident left Lisa unable to return to work. The journey after the accident was a challenge to say the least, as she didn’t even remember her own husband but with Bret at her side, they faced the new challenges together.             

      Now we fast forward to later into December, when some health concerns brought Bret to the local ER to see a doctor, but the results given were not the ones that he was expecting. A few days later he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Stage 4, Melanoma Cancer.  Now, I would like to say, as a friend I'm choosing to not to get too in-depth into the intimate details of the battles that they're facing every day. That being said, battles with health and Cancer have touched the lives of so many and whether that is directly or indirectly we have some understanding of the obstacles they've faced and the ones to come.           

       I was raised in a small Cape Breton town, where helping one another was a way of life. It was a natural reaction to help another person that was given more than they could or should bare.  They would clean, cook, help with family responsibilities, whatever was needed but today, Covid has limited a lot of what we can do to help the people around us that need it and I know that these two amazing people have a lot of people in their lives that want to help in some way, just like I do. I know that we've all had to climb our own mountains, but sometimes its the generosity of a stranger,  the encouragement of a friend or the support of the amazing network of people you have in your life that can make a difference.    Both Bret and Lisa have spent their lives giving to others, so I can recognize that it's not easy to accept help from others when you know that there's so many people struggling around us.  So with that in mind,  I will in turn do something in Bret and Lisa's name to give back  for the generosity of people stepping forward to support them.      

       Now, while I can't give back to everyone that supports this very worthy cause, what I am going to do is draw a name from the list of people that have donated and gift to one lucky person a 30 minute Helicopter Tour Certificate for two, that was also donated to support this amazing couple.         

      Seems very fitting to give someone the gift of flight, when it's actually Aviation that brought us all together and now we get to spread our love for flying all at the same time. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read their story, for sharing this and for the support  your showing for Bret & Lisa. 

I know without a doubt, that they're thankful for each and everyone of you.