About

A Journey of Resilience:

From Stroke to Serving the Community

In the span of just over two years, I've navigated a challenging path of recovery and reinvention, transforming personal struggles into a mission to help others. This journey began on July 25, 2021, when I experienced a life-altering stroke. For 29 days, I was in the hospital, learning to walk again with a walker and relying on oxygen. My wife, a pillar of strength, captured my spirit perfectly in a Facebook post the day after my stroke:

"John E Walker is doing well. He is going to kick this in the ass. He's a fighter thru and thru. He will be in the hospital for at least 2 weeks, with loads of rehab ahead of him. He thanks everyone for their well wishes and words of love and encouragement. John had a stroke on the morning of July 25, 2021. He is doing so much better already. He loses some words and letters, can't remember my 1st name (but knows my 2nd name), and simple tasks are challenging. But his head is positive that he will beat this to the ground quickly."

She was right.

The stroke left me with speech, comprehension, and memory issues. Simple tasks became challenging, and finding words was a struggle. I even had to relearn how to walk and read. But I was determined to beat it. My path to recovery took a significant turn on November 3, 2022, when I underwent open-heart surgery to correct a birth defect: Ebstein's anomaly, a rare congenital heart condition often accompanied by an atrial septal defect (a hole in the heart). The best doctors in the world for this complex surgery provided me with a new lease on life, a stark contrast to the "pill-popping" approach I'd experienced from some family doctors. My Toronto care team emphasized the critical role of nutrition and regular activity in my recovery.

This is where a profound realization hit me: being financially struggling often means being nutritionally compromised. Healthy, nutritious foods and beneficial supplements like dandelion tea were simply out of reach for me and many others facing similar economic hardship. I refused to accept this reality.

Growing My Own Health: A Natural Path to Recovery

Even before my heart surgery, I started growing fresh plants in my apartment for my health and recovery. Dandelion, plantain, hot peppers, cherry tomatoes, and basil became staples. As I learned more about the specific plants beneficial for my heart and lungs, I began seeking out wild edible plants, collecting their seeds, and now cultivate them year-round. My ultimate goal is to find natural alternatives to the two remaining medications I take, a significant reduction from the nine I was initially on. I firmly believe we can provide much of our own nutrition without expensive equipment or high prices.

This personal journey unveiled a crucial truth: a little education can empower anyone to cultivate their own nutritional needs. It’s important to remember that any significant changes to your diet or medication, especially when dealing with serious health conditions, should always be discussed with and supervised by a qualified healthcare professional. While I'm exploring natural alternatives, I'm doing so with careful consideration and ongoing consultation with my care team.

I'm now dedicated to sharing this knowledge and building methods to improve nutrition for those most in need, especially those unable to grow for themselves. Imagine a community where we share our harvests freely, ensuring no one goes without proper nutrition.

From Personal Recovery to Community Empowerment: The "Not Just A Food Program"

My experiences reinforced a long-held dream: to create a transitional housing project providing the basics—free food, clothing, and necessities. This wasn't a new idea for me; for over 10 years, I've been actively involved in providing these essential services to those in need. A couple of years before the pandemic began, I started down the path with my LIFE Community Project activities. This involved expanding our weekly Sunday free food, clothing, and necessities event at Memorial Park in Oshawa into a multi-day effort on the streets, directly assisting those most in need.

I was a founding member of LIFE Rally Oshawa, a grassroots initiative. With the blessing of the other members, I launched the LIFE Community Project to broaden our reach beyond Sundays, helping out on the streets of Oshawa multiple days a week. When the pandemic hit, LIFE Rally Oshawa completely shut down. Undeterred, I continued the LIFE Community Project activities seven days a week, right up until my stroke.

My stroke almost brought these efforts to an end; most activities completely ceased until I had somewhat recovered and began the process of rebuilding my network. This vision, now evolving into the LIFE Transitional Housing Program, is about building opportunities for individuals genuinely desiring to improve their situations. It's a pathway of support, allowing individuals to re-enter and move forward even if they stumble. We can't help everyone, but we can each assist a few, showing love and compassion every step of the way, even when it's not reciprocated. Because, as I've learned, "you reap what you sow," and sowing love and compassion, especially for the most vulnerable, is the path to a better future.

My actions are a testament to this belief. The Not Just A Food Program, which provided its first free lunch on November 29, 2024, is the foundation for the LIFE Transitional Housing Program. It's a work in progress, and this week, I'm launching a new initiative focused on health and wellness for all. It's an opportunity to learn, discover, and understand the incredible relationship between plants, vitamins, minerals, and our bodies.

My Ongoing Recovery and Hope for the Future

I was told I might never fully recover from my stroke, facing ongoing speech, comprehension, and memory issues. Yet, each day brings improvements. When I first spoke about the Not Just A Food Program, I struggled to articulate my thoughts. Today, most people can't tell I've had a stroke, and my memory issues are diminishing. My good days now outnumber my bad. My goal is full recovery, and I continue to use regular consumption of plants to work towards ongoing health and wellness.

My health is a daily commitment: maintaining a positive attitude, prioritizing nutrition, and staying active with love for all. I hope that what I am building will offer positive options for you or someone in need.

LIFE - Love Is For Everyone!