BY BRADLEY BEZAN
When I started out, I thought I could be best friends with my leadership team. I didn’t see the need to set any boundaries. My thinking was “if we’re real friends, we’ll succeed at this”. And that approach seemed to work really well for a while. Until one of those friends left.
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
I’m a different person than I was six years ago. And though our core mission has stayed the same, Spark is, in many ways, a different organization than it was six years ago. And we’ve reached what feels like the right moment to reflect on who we are, what we stand for, and how we’ve changed for the better.
BY CHRIS JACKSON
As with a lot of things on the internet, “How to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed” isn’t the most accurate title they could have chosen for Canadian neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Levitin’s fantastic TED Talk. It’s more about “why you should plan ahead for when you know you’ll be stressed,” which is no less interesting or important. While you should definitely watch or listen to it, there are two things I took away from it that I want to share with you.
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
For the first few years of his life, Cooper developed normally - sleeping through the night, and walking (running, actually) early. He loved dinosaurs (like his dad), danced regularly (already better than I did) and often brought me to tears with his generosity and compassion. Everything was great. But as time went on, we noticed more and more challenges that he was facing.
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
I did not appreciate growing up in a small town. Now that I’m older and I’ve been away long enough, I’ve realized I need to make it up to my hometown. So I’ve penned a sort of love letter. To Kapuskasing, and to small towns everywhere.
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Being swept by LeBron and the Cavs again hurts. But in opening up about his depression this season, the Raptors’ star has done something powerful.
BY CHRIS JACKSON
2017 was a pivotal year at Spark. So many good things happened that we decided to take a moment and share the highlights with you. We’ve grown tremendously as an organization and we hope you take pride in what you’ve helped us accomplish!
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
We all experienced pain as kids. And we were never the same. In a good way.
BY ALLISON CARROLL
A story of the wonderful, spunky woman who still inspires us.
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
Like my father and his father before him, I’ve battled anxiety all my life. I learned early how important it is to talk about it. It’s taken some time, but I’m finally ready to share my story.
BY CHRIS JACKSON
When you need support for yourself or your loved one it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
If you're dealing with a recent big change like an accident or a diagnosis it's stressful enough knowing what the next step is, without having to make sense of a bunch of new terms.
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Manha had always been on her feet: raising three children, running a household, working for the family business. The car accident changed everything. Walking from one room to another with assistance was now exhausting. Her balance was shaky and she suffered chronic pain...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Andrew was biking with his friends on the day his life was changed forever by a drunk driver. He survived the accident. But with severe brain injuries that seriously limited his range of motion. Discomfort and muscle rigidity became daily struggles...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Spark has had the privilege of supporting Will for over 2 years. Outspoken, jovial, and incredibly intelligent, Will is a diehard Sens and Jays fan who loves discussing politics, playing sports, and participating in his community theatre company...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
George was only four years old when he was struck by a car. The resulting injuries were severe. Casting and bracing kept him immobile and in need of constant care. He suffered memory loss and his speech became impaired. His parents were devastated...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
The Fergusons had become frustrated with the unreliability of their care-providing company. Retired, healthy and independent, they just needed help staying physically and mentally active, and wanted someone who would be truly invested...
BY BRADLEY BEZAN
Lana came to us with a very specific request: to connect her with a caregiver as good as Zeljka. Ever since Zeljka moved away, Lana had been cycling through workers who lacked either the professionalism or the interpersonal skills Lana needed from her caregiver....
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Nora’s life was completely changed by the car accident. A busy mom with two teenage daughters, what used to be a regular day became an exhausting one. She was frustrated by her lack of mobility, and suffered from post-traumatic stress episodes that would trigger flashbacks...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
Patricia didn’t have a diagnosis for her grandson, she just knew that something was wrong. Family struggles that had taken his mom out of the picture had led to some concerning behaviors. Aidan was very closed, impulsive, easily agitated and sometimes aggressive...
BY CHRIS JACKSON
One of the questions we continually ask ourselves at Spark is "what can we try that no one else is trying?" While our approach is rooted in established practices that work, we are always looking for ways to evolve and improve our services...
