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On one of the most difficult days of his life, Tom Quinn didn’t know where to turn for help. His wife, Helen, had dementia, and her condition was getting worse. Out on a drive that day, Helen was upset and unpleasant and Tom was at his wit’s end. 

A retired firefighter, Tom had seen more difficult days than most. When Helen was initially diagnosed with dementia, he turned down offers of help, believing he could care for his partner on his own. On that day, not wanting to let anger take over, Tom ran through options in his mind. Finally, he recalled seeing the sign for VON’s Waterloo Wellington Dufferin site.

Kayla Stock, the site’s administrative assistant, remembers Tom and Helen arriving that day. “When Tom walked in looking for assistance I was there to greet him,” she says. “Once I saw the state he was in, I sat him down, took his hand and told him he had come to the right place. We are here to help him.  After hearing his story and hearing the love he expressed for his wife, I directed him to our Adult Day Program (ADP) supervisor Sasha Christensen.”

Tom recalls that Kayla was just the calming presence he needed. “By this time, I'm a bundle of nerves and stress like you can't believe. I'll never forget Kayla for trying to calm me down. At that time the ADP was in progress and a couple of ladies come out, and they could see that I was stressed, and they kind of took over.”

Helen began to attend the ADP regularly. “It was a tremendous relief for me just to get a bit of time off,” Tom says. “I was a firefighter for many years, and I don't think I was ever as stressed as I was with my wife over a few years, because she just had a tough time.”

Tom says the program not only helped him keep his sanity, but was enjoyable for Helen too. “They looked after her. They just knew how to handle her and to treat her right. She got pretty friendly with some of the ladies, and they welcomed her with open arms every time.”

Helen passed away recently, and Tom has since shared some advice with his friends: “I said, when you go home, hug your wife. Just do it. Don't ask questions.”

For Kayla, Tom and Helen’s love story is one she won’t forget. “I got to witness the love and connection Tom and his wife shared. I often found myself having to watch every interaction they shared together at drop-off and pick-up times. A real-life childhood fairytale, brought to life in front of my eyes.”

Kayla is grateful she was there to help. “I feel Tom and I were meant to meet that day.  For me to offer a helping hand, a warm smile and open ear and for him to touch my life and show me that old-school love truly does exist.”

She is also honoured to be able to make a difference in someone’s life. “It holds great value to my heart and the person I am and have become.  All our clients touch and hold a special place in my heart, but Tom will always have a little extra.”