Pride & Joy Award Recipient Lauren Boyce, Mighty Oak Category

You can achieve your goals -- whatever your challenges.

Recipient of the "Mighty Oak" award sponsored by Tim
Hortons.

Nine‐year‐old Lauren is playing hide and seek with her
cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's. She is hiding, when
suddenly her body collapses. She is locked inside it. She can't get up or walk or even yell for help, though she can hear everything that is going on around her.

Lauren had suffered a stroke, which left her in a coma for several months. When she awoke, she seemed a different person. Lauren had literally lost her childhood; she has no memories of the time before her stroke. Lauren was also left with weakness on the right side, which affected her hand, foot and leg. For years, Lauren struggled with double vision and learning difficulties.

Lauren underwent many challenging months of therapy and subsequently became a client of ErinoakKids. When she returned to school, she faced another long, uphill climb. She was open and friendly, but at times her social
skills seemed to have regressed. She struggled with academics, putting in many hours at the Learning Centre, determined to master the required material. Ultimately, she went to Humber College, where she earned multiple
certificates in Hospitality and Tourism, as well as Science and Technology.

At ErinoakKids, Lauren learned two things above all: with enough determination, people can achieve the things they set out to do, whatever their challenges ‐‐ and that she herself was capable of making a great contribution.

She drew on these life lessons when she established the Stroke of Power Care‐a‐thon fundraiser in order to give back to ErinoakKids. In fall 2006, Lauren walked 56 kilometers over two days. Lauren led the walk for three
subsequent years, raising over $35,000 for ErinoakKids, and engaging hundreds of clients, families, staff, community supporters and community businesses.

Lee Piepgrass, her nominator and friend, pays tribute to Lauren's determination and vision, "I don't think any of us can imagine the depths of the challenges she's had to confront and defeat to come to be where she is today."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Lauren
• v4
• 264
• HD
• Final