Serendipity

It was just another day. I rose with the sun at the crack of dawn, and it began to set as my workday wound down. I would never have guessed that this would be the day to change everything. Ring-g-g! Ring-g-g! I answered the phone and familiarized myself with the voice on the line. It was my Mother. She spoke slowly and clearly as she recited these words: Someone needs to help Wayne, Patricia. He is now weighing in at three hundred and sixty pounds ...and well, that is very obese. Someone needs to do something! This wasnt the first call, but this time seemed different. I guess it was different because I recognized that Wayne was not far from reaching 400 pounds. I have had several uncles, who also suffered from obesity. Obesity seemed to be in my family well before it became an everyday word, well before it became an overwhelming disease. This day I began to see that this was more than a love for food. Food had become his life. This time, I had the feeling that I had to do something that I could help. It was time for me to help him get his life back.

They Call Me Slim

Wayne (near his heaviest weight)

Say Hello to the People Involved

Anyone who is brought into this world is born to a name and they are defined by it. The name Wayne was given to a baby boy born on the 19th of November in 1958. He was born and raised along with his two brothers, Cyril and Darcy, and one sister, Patricia, in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada by two parents, whom are now separated and each have new partners. When Wayne completed his high school diploma he entered the workforce. He has been employed for the last 14 years with the same company as a loyal employee, working as a courier in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Marriage and children have never been a part of his life, although his two cats have. His loyal cat named Kitty and his recent cat named Jade, which he will forever and always love devotedly, are part of the story too. Wayne is neither labelled nor defined as a hero in society, but he is a hero to all of those who give him a chance to be in their lives. Wayne is the hero of this story. For every hero there is a sidekick, the person who is the backbone to the heroism. The ever-faithful sidekick in this story is his sister, Patricia. She can be defined as a mentor or a coach, or simply the one who guided this hero. Her name is not held above the standard of everyday people, she is an everyday person who has completed her MBA and has been employed in the business field in Edmonton, Alberta for several years. Patricia has been married to Paul for 27 years and has one child, Tessa. Patricia was born on January 23, 1962.

They Call Me Slim

The person who brought both Wayne and Patricia into this world is their beloved Mother, Phyllis, who has always been the saviour in their lives. When the world would crumble beneath them, Phyllis has always picked up the broken pieces and taped them back in place. She was born on January 24, 1938 in Leross, Saskatchewan, Alberta and currently resides in Red Deer, Alberta. Phyllis is married and retired with six children, composed from a blended family. Her past struggles did not make life easy for her, but she always did her best for her children. She still continues to be in their lives and sends her love in every way she can. In this story alone, there are three different heroes, all working together to create a change in the life of someone they care about. I wish the world could see the everyday hero doing simple tasks to improve anothers life. Let this be the new definition of a hero.

Say Hello to People Involved

Wayne

They Call Me Slim

Patricia

Phyllis

Say Hello to People Involved

Wayne and Niece Tessa (Summer 2006)

The Consent and the Kickoff

After receiving the call from my Mother influencing me to seek to help Wayne, I made the decision to call him as the first step. My thoughts intertwined as the dial tone faded into conversation. Could I do this? Would I be able to help? Would anything work? I tuned back into reality as I caught the discontentment in his voice as he stated that he wanted to lose weight. Yet, as the conversation progressed all I could hear was the verdict: I cant do it. Those four words and hearing them over and over made me question whether or not I should hang up the phone right then and forget I even called him. Despite my hatred for those four words, my conscience kicked in and forced me to continue the conversation and provide all the support I could. Yet, all the support I provided didnt seem to be of much use, but it was the best that I could do. I simply agreed with Wayne that yes, its hard to lose weight and yes, its going to get frustrating and that yes, you will have to be motivated. I felt contented with how I had acknowledged his feelings, for it was the best I could do at that moment. I said my goodbyes, only to return to the normal cycles of life, or so I thought.

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