Hi my name is Laura Bain and I am Zoe's neighbour and friend. When she had a stroke on May 7, 2024 it was a shock to her friends, family, and colleagues. Zoe is involved in many things around her community of Breadalbane where she was born and raised. She works as the barn manager at Handibear Hills Horse Sanctuary, where she not only cares for the horses, she coaches teenagers and looks out for Yogi, the 82-year-old sanctuary founder. Zoe is a professional artist and she co-runs the Breadalbane art gallery. In addition to these jobs, Zoe is the events coordinator and centre attendant for the Breadalbane community centre. She also keeps bees, a variety of chickens, and has 2 dogs, Winston and Hollyhock who are like little shadows to her.

Zoe lives with her husband Edward who is an LPN and hasn't been able to work or go visit Zoe for this past week due to COVID. Her parents, Ernest and Irene have also had COVID and the stress on this family has been just unfair. Zoe's sister, Emilie has flown in on her way home to Newfoundland and she has been a huge support to Zoe and the family.

Although it has been nearly two weeks since the stroke, it feels totally unbelievable that it happened, that she has left-sided weakness and has been relearning to walk, to lift her left hand and to smile. It makes me feel sad, angry and helpless. I cannot help her nerves heal, I cannot rebuild those pathways in her brain to help her grasp a paintbrush, or give her legs the strength to ride a horse again. But I have to believe that we can help in a small way, by taking the financial pressures off and giving her what we can.

Thank you for caring for Zoe in this time of need, I know we can't wait to see her through this and I know her toughness and tenderness are her greatest strengths.