6 • October 1, 2015
kitchissippi.com
Yasir Naqvi, MPP Ottawa Centre
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Alan Gustafson Continued from page 3 wanted to keep going from one thing to the next,” he says. “Welding and work was my one true love for sure. Just go, go, go, I loved it. I was making money and I was creating and the shop is right there... And I’m not doing that anymore.” Being dependent on others instead of being to do everything himself has been tremendously difficult for Alan. Sometimes his friends come over and Alan instructs them on how to weld different projects while he watches. “I can be the creative mind and they can be my hands,” he says. With no money coming in, no occupational insurance money, plus a new baby to look after, Jess and Alan were struggling to stay afloat. Peter decided he needed to do something to help his friend. He filmed a candid video of Alan speaking about how ALS has affected his life. He relayed some of his struggles, including how he can’t even lift up his baby son. As someone who is
humble and subdued, it was difficult for Alan to shoot the video because he’s never been someone comfortable with being in
“We wouldn’t be here without the support of our community and our friends and our family.” the spotlight. “I’ve let my work speak for me my whole life, and I’ve never wanted to be in the limelight, so I was reluctant of Peter’s initial request but basically, as the video says, I’m in need of some help from my friends and that’s where this real idea of community and rallying around someone seemed so appealing to me,” says Alan. Peter shot the video and posted it online. “That was to be Al’s kind of coming out to the world about his diagnosis because he’d been sort of
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reluctant to share it and I said ‘you have got to share this story’,” says Peter. He also launched a fundraising page on youcaring.com. $50,000 was raised in the first week. Both Alan and Peter were shocked by the results and how the community rallied together to help out this struggling family. The video was shared on Facebook and Twitter and word of a local family going through a hard time spread like wildfire. After two weeks, almost $65,000 has been raised from about 400 supporters. “People dream of a response like $50,000. It is incredible,” says Peter. “People heard [about Alan] and they all jumped in. There are local artisans that are donating a percentage of their sales to Al and his family. There are people that don’t have a job right now and they still donated, and there were people who didn’t even know Al and were still moved by the story that they donated. I’m just blown away by how many people care so much about this guy and his family.” Alan says he’s glad he shot the video, not only for the assistance that the
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money has afforded his family, but to be able to see all of the love and support surrounding him during this difficult time. “I think it’s fantastic… how many people have reached out to me and expressed such love, I had no idea that their expansive love was so wide,” says Alan. “The video and the campaign has been very well-received, easing the burden of our bills and perhaps allowing us to create some fun or fond memories for Harvey and Jess,” he says. “We wouldn’t be here without the support of our community and our friends and our family,” adds Jess. Peter says he is going to keep raising funds for the Gustafson family. He is planning some fundraising events involving the Kitchissippi community in the New Year. Alan’s fundraising page, and Peter’s video, can be found online at youcaring.com/ alan-gustafson-427086.
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