The Sobers Skeete Family Dream
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The Sobers Skeete Family Dream
The Sobers Skeete family are an example of hard work, positivity, drive, ambition and pure entrepreneurial spirit. However, they do need assistance financially to realize their dream of Josh’s Restaurant, Harmony’s Cookshop and mom Carolann's Grocery come to fruition. The completion of this project will give Josh the ability to run his own restaurant and for mom Carolann to run her Grocery shop.
Background:
The Sobers Skeete family live in Clinkett’s Garden, St. Lucy, Barbados. This is a small tight knit community where those who live treat one another like family, helping one another when someone in the community is in need. I understand that members of this wonderful community are assisting the Sobers Skeete family fulfill this dream. They are contributing funds and manual labour in the building of the actual structure of the restaurant and grocery. This new business will not only benefit the Sobers Skeete family but the community as a whole. The opening of the restaurant and grocery will not only employ other members of the community, but bring business from outside the area.
My Connection with the Sobers Skeete family:
I was fortunate enough to live on the beautiful island of Barbados with my family in 2013/2014 for a year. During that time my son played soccer with the Barbados Soccer Academy. It was through the Academy that I met Carolann and Josh. I had heard that a young member of the Academy, Josh who was 16 at the time, was gravely diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. The family was looking for help to get Josh to the United States for experimental stem cell treatment. Aplastic Anemia was not something that the doctors in Barbados could handle so they looked for alternatives for this sick young man. Without health care and without the funds to go for the typical treatment for Aplastic Anemia offered in the US or Canada the doctors found a hospital in Washington that was looking for patients to try a new experimental Stem Cell treatment. The family had no choice but to go for this option. Getting sick Josh off the island was a challenge, however. He needed to be well enough to fly, this meant regular blood transfusions. This was a big challenge on a small island as the blood banks are limited and Josh had a rare blood type. The other big challenges were, they needed visas to enter the US, which they didn’t have and needed in a hurry. They needed a legal letter from Josh’s Dad to allow him to travel outside of Barbados on his own with his mother. They needed the funds for the flights. This is where I came in. This story was so heartbreaking, I felt the incredible urge to reach out and help. I was able to get the funds for the flights from the Sandy Lane Trust Children’s Charity. I was able to get them the legal letter from a friend who was a lawyer. I also enabled rush visas through a friend at the US consulate. The blood transfusions were an issue however, the island had very low supply of Josh’s blood type and every time the doctors felt Josh was healthy enough to fly he came down with a fever needing more blood. Carolann called me one morning in tears, she was in a state of panic, Josh had a fever and needed blood but there was none of his blood type left in the blood bank. I felt the Mama Bear instinct kick in and I immediately called the local radio station during that mornings show. Thanks to the grace of God they answered and put me on air. I appealed to all Barbadian’s to please help Josh. To please go down to the blood donation centre and donate if they were his blood type, and if they didn’t know what blood type they were then to go anyway and get tested to see if they were. Well shortly after, I headed down to the blood donation centre to see if my message got through and I could not believe my eyes when I saw that there was a line up out the door. I asked the nurse what was going on and she said, “They are here for Josh”. I could not believe it, the incredible sense of community amongst the beautiful people of Barbados brought tears to my eyes. Well I am happy to say that Josh got the blood he needed and shortly after was flown to Washington where he and his mom Carolann spent 6 months so Josh could get this experimental treatment. Carolann went 6 months not seeing her other two kids and husband back in Barbados. Josh took to the treatment well and now 6 years later he is a healthy ambitious 22 year old. Needless to say I have become close with this incredibly positive and loving family, I spent a lot of time with Carolann's son Ocean and daughter Skye while Carolann and Josh were off island for the 6 months and have remained in regular contact and visits with all of them.
Josh:
Despite all of his health issues Josh came back to the island and enrolled in chef school. He is now a talented chef and has worked in some of Barbados’ top restaurants. Currently Josh is running Harmony's Cookshop out of the family's modest home. Instagram page @harmonys_cookshop . Josh has an incredible entrepreneurial spirit has a had a dream to open his own restaurant in his community for a very long time now. Well that time is now. The Sobers Skeete family have ambitiously started construction on their own land. The new building that will be Harmony’s Cookshop and Grocery is currently under construction.
Carolann:
Carolann is an incredible woman that has a selfless, positive attitude despite the hurdles she has had to face. She runs the grocery shop out of the family home that provides groceries to the community. Carolann works very hard running this business it is important to mention that three years ago Carolann lost her leg, it was an above the knee loss. Carolann is now confined to a wheelchair most of the time and uses crutches occasionally to get around. She is running her grocery shop out of a wheelchair and with the use of crutches for the past three years. A prosthetic is something that is to be considered however the type of prosthetic she would require is not something that is easy to do in Barbados. I did offer my assistance in getting her fitted for one here in Toronto and we were going forward with that until she told me that she would rather see and funds go to their dream of the restaurant and grocery. Carolann feels that this will give them the financial stability to potentially allow her to fund the prosthetic on her own at a later time.
Entrepreneurial Spirit and The Dream:
The Sobers Skeete family have ambitiously started construction on their own land on this new building that will be Harmony’s Cookshop and Grocery. They have been granted some assistance from the Barbados Government but are in need of additional financial assistance to make this dream become a reality. This, as noted above, will not only fulfill Josh’s dream of running his own restaurant but also provide a place for his mother’s Grocery. This will give them financial independence, financial security, will bring business to the community as a whole, and will employ locals. Please watch the video of Josh touring the site of the restaurant in the newly constructed base of the restaurant, which amazingly has a gorgeous view of the Caribbean Sea! Please consider donating to help this family’s dream come to fruition. Thank you!!
The Sobers Skeete family are an example of hard work, positivity, drive, ambition and pure entrepreneurial spirit. However, they do need assistance financially to realize their dream of Josh’s Restaurant, Harmony’s Cookshop and mom Carolann's Grocery come to fruition. The completion of this project will give Josh the ability to run his own restaurant and for mom Carolann to run her Grocery shop.
Background:
The Sobers Skeete family live in Clinkett’s Garden, St. Lucy, Barbados. This is a small tight knit community where those who live treat one another like family, helping one another when someone in the community is in need. I understand that members of this wonderful community are assisting the Sobers Skeete family fulfill this dream. They are contributing funds and manual labour in the building of the actual structure of the restaurant and grocery. This new business will not only benefit the Sobers Skeete family but the community as a whole. The opening of the restaurant and grocery will not only employ other members of the community, but bring business from outside the area.
My Connection with the Sobers Skeete family:
I was fortunate enough to live on the beautiful island of Barbados with my family in 2013/2014 for a year. During that time my son played soccer with the Barbados Soccer Academy. It was through the Academy that I met Carolann and Josh. I had heard that a young member of the Academy, Josh who was 16 at the time, was gravely diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. The family was looking for help to get Josh to the United States for experimental stem cell treatment. Aplastic Anemia was not something that the doctors in Barbados could handle so they looked for alternatives for this sick young man. Without health care and without the funds to go for the typical treatment for Aplastic Anemia offered in the US or Canada the doctors found a hospital in Washington that was looking for patients to try a new experimental Stem Cell treatment. The family had no choice but to go for this option. Getting sick Josh off the island was a challenge, however. He needed to be well enough to fly, this meant regular blood transfusions. This was a big challenge on a small island as the blood banks are limited and Josh had a rare blood type. The other big challenges were, they needed visas to enter the US, which they didn’t have and needed in a hurry. They needed a legal letter from Josh’s Dad to allow him to travel outside of Barbados on his own with his mother. They needed the funds for the flights. This is where I came in. This story was so heartbreaking, I felt the incredible urge to reach out and help. I was able to get the funds for the flights from the Sandy Lane Trust Children’s Charity. I was able to get them the legal letter from a friend who was a lawyer. I also enabled rush visas through a friend at the US consulate. The blood transfusions were an issue however, the island had very low supply of Josh’s blood type and every time the doctors felt Josh was healthy enough to fly he came down with a fever needing more blood. Carolann called me one morning in tears, she was in a state of panic, Josh had a fever and needed blood but there was none of his blood type left in the blood bank. I felt the Mama Bear instinct kick in and I immediately called the local radio station during that mornings show. Thanks to the grace of God they answered and put me on air. I appealed to all Barbadian’s to please help Josh. To please go down to the blood donation centre and donate if they were his blood type, and if they didn’t know what blood type they were then to go anyway and get tested to see if they were. Well shortly after, I headed down to the blood donation centre to see if my message got through and I could not believe my eyes when I saw that there was a line up out the door. I asked the nurse what was going on and she said, “They are here for Josh”. I could not believe it, the incredible sense of community amongst the beautiful people of Barbados brought tears to my eyes. Well I am happy to say that Josh got the blood he needed and shortly after was flown to Washington where he and his mom Carolann spent 6 months so Josh could get this experimental treatment. Carolann went 6 months not seeing her other two kids and husband back in Barbados. Josh took to the treatment well and now 6 years later he is a healthy ambitious 22 year old. Needless to say I have become close with this incredibly positive and loving family, I spent a lot of time with Carolann's son Ocean and daughter Skye while Carolann and Josh were off island for the 6 months and have remained in regular contact and visits with all of them.
Josh:
Despite all of his health issues Josh came back to the island and enrolled in chef school. He is now a talented chef and has worked in some of Barbados’ top restaurants. Currently Josh is running Harmony's Cookshop out of the family's modest home. Instagram page @harmonys_cookshop . Josh has an incredible entrepreneurial spirit has a had a dream to open his own restaurant in his community for a very long time now. Well that time is now. The Sobers Skeete family have ambitiously started construction on their own land. The new building that will be Harmony’s Cookshop and Grocery is currently under construction.
Carolann:
Carolann is an incredible woman that has a selfless, positive attitude despite the hurdles she has had to face. She runs the grocery shop out of the family home that provides groceries to the community. Carolann works very hard running this business it is important to mention that three years ago Carolann lost her leg, it was an above the knee loss. Carolann is now confined to a wheelchair most of the time and uses crutches occasionally to get around. She is running her grocery shop out of a wheelchair and with the use of crutches for the past three years. A prosthetic is something that is to be considered however the type of prosthetic she would require is not something that is easy to do in Barbados. I did offer my assistance in getting her fitted for one here in Toronto and we were going forward with that until she told me that she would rather see and funds go to their dream of the restaurant and grocery. Carolann feels that this will give them the financial stability to potentially allow her to fund the prosthetic on her own at a later time.
Entrepreneurial Spirit and The Dream:
The Sobers Skeete family have ambitiously started construction on their own land on this new building that will be Harmony’s Cookshop and Grocery. They have been granted some assistance from the Barbados Government but are in need of additional financial assistance to make this dream become a reality. This, as noted above, will not only fulfill Josh’s dream of running his own restaurant but also provide a place for his mother’s Grocery. This will give them financial independence, financial security, will bring business to the community as a whole, and will employ locals. Please watch the video of Josh touring the site of the restaurant in the newly constructed base of the restaurant, which amazingly has a gorgeous view of the Caribbean Sea! Please consider donating to help this family’s dream come to fruition. Thank you!!
Fundraising team (2)
Karin Kolb
Organizer
Toronto, ON
Rebecca Boyce
Team member
