Community support helps overcome adversity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/08/2022 (279 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I wrote a column several months ago suggesting Charleswood is not keeping pace with some other suburban communities, and needs to grow both in terms of business and population.

I was recently reminded of some of the benefits of the “small-town feel” that characterizes Charleswood Kristy Tarasoff, co-owner of Ear Architects Hearing Care, at 3412 Roblin Blvd., got in touch to tell me how the Charleswood community has reached out to help her and her family through a very difficult time in their lives. I profiled Ear Architects in a previous column, so Kristy wanted to fill me in on how the business was coping after a life-altering accident, and also let the people of Charleswood know how much she has appreciated their help and support.

Kristy explained that her husband Trevor and son Andrew were in a car accident on Jan. 31, while vacationing in Arizona. Trevor, who is also her business partner, suffered a traumatic brain injury. While Andrew was able to return home after a week in an Arizona hospital, Trevor spent five weeks in hospital and she travelled to be with him. After Trevor came home, he went to Riverview for treatment and rehabilitation. He is still recovering.

Dealing with the fallout of this accident meant she had to close the business for three months. Not only was her family’s livelihood affected, she had to lean on businesses in the community of Charleswood and some outside the community to help with patient care.

“Support from the business community was overwhelming,” she said. “From my neighbour Ivan at Master’s of London to the Charleswood Medical Clinic, the outreach was incredible.”

Organizations like Charleswood Rotary Club were also very helpful, she points out.

A member of Charleswood Rotary for the past three years, Kristy can’t find enough good things to say about those who helped in any way they could. That help ranged from assisting in her office to checking on her home while she was with her husband in Arizona.

Another supportive group — the Tuxedo Online Moms — dropped off meals. “So many people wrote to me through the CaringBridge,” she added. (CaringBridge is a social network to help people stay connected during a health event.)

Kristy said she and Trevor were just getting their business back on track, after two years of COVID-19-related disruption, when the accident happened. Now they are dealing with another setback. She credits the community for giving her the strength to carry on.

“We’re close to full-time hours now,” she says. “This cohesive community made me mentally and physically able to come back to work.”

Kristy’s story is one of triumph over adversity. It’s also an example of how adversity can bring a community together and provide strength to one of its own. She wanted to share that sentiment with those who helped her.

Donna Minkus
Charleswood community correspondent

Donna Minkus is a community correspondent for Charleswood.

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