WARNING This video series discusses mental health, addiction, substance use and suicide among other challenging topics. Some viewers may find the content emotionally distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Story:

Kim is a retired executive who worked primarily in technology companies throughout his career. Before retiring he worked at Descartes Systems Group where he held the role of VP Corporate Development. Prior to that, he was VP Human Resources & Administration at Descartes, with overall HR responsibility for all employees in 23 different countries.
 
In March of 2014, his daughter Katie, passed away as a result of an accidental drug overdose. Katie died shortly after her 24 th  birthday. When his daughter died, Kim decided to share Katie’s story and talk about her struggles with mental health which led to addiction and ultimately her passing. He first talked about this at her funeral, and has
continued to do so throughout the last nine plus years at various events such as International Overdose Awareness Day in Oakville and Hamilton, to students at two Toronto area high schools, to students at Georgian College, at a Performing Arts Medical Association event focused on addiction and as a panel member at various
addiction awareness events.  He was also on the steering committee for a youth recovery group in Oakville and filling in as a group facilitator when needed.
 
Kim does all of this in the hope that he can help others who are struggling themselves, or have a loved one who are struggling whether it be with mental health, addiction or grief.

Surviving Addiction:

Surviving Addiction is an interview series that highlights the real people who are impacted by addiction and the lenses which they experience it through. Whether it's the healthcare professional, community leader, family member or the person who has lived with a substance use disorder, addiction impacts the lives of everyone it touches. In this series, we learn of the humanity of those that addiction has touched and the profound lessons learned through their experiences.

Resources:

Canada wide suicide hotline: Dial 988

Partners:

Inspire By Example: https://inspirebyexample.ca/

Inspire By Example shares the stories of lived experience related to addiction with the goal of reducing stigma and providing hope to those in need.

Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine: https://csamsmca.org/

CSAM is a national society of medical professionals and scientists committed to helping Canadians understand and recover with dignity from substance use disorders.


Durham College Social Impact Hub: https://durhamcollege.ca/about/office...

The Social Impact Hub at Durham College builds community collaborations needed to undertake socially innovative applied research activities informed by those with lived experience. A key activity is supporting knowledge mobilization within the walls of the college, our region, and beyond.