Carly’s House — A Story of Purpose, Love, and Community
On January 1st, 2025—her birthday—my wife Carly became very sick, very fast while we were in Japan. Within a single day she was rushed to a hospital in Kyoto, where she required emergency surgery. Doctors removed a mass of tumors from her abdomen, and several suspicious lymph nodes. They were almost certain she had cancer.

She spent the next 14 days in that Kyoto hospital, drifting in and out of consciousness, often forgetting what she had been told. I never left her side. I stayed every possible minute of visiting hours, and I even snuck in when I wasn’t supposed to be there.

When she was clear-headed enough, I brought our 17-year-old daughter and her friend to see her. Carly had been thinking. With tears in her eyes, she shared two things she wanted:

She wanted our family to have dinner together every Sunday.
She wanted to give back more to the community.
Her real estate business had always been rooted in giving back, but this moment gave that promise a deeper meaning.

Less than a month later, the worst news imaginable was confirmed: Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that is always fatal. We were devastated.

We continued searching for hope and she was eventually accepted into a promising clinical trial—until tragedy struck again. During a routine bone marrow biopsy before the trial, doctors discovered a second cancer: CLL. That disqualified her, and once again our world collapsed.

Cathy Holmes Act3 Media Productions - act3mediaproductions.com

Sarah Wallbank from Dine About and the Co-Chef and Co-Owner of CAMAS in Lantzville teams up with Nanaimo Foundations Executive Director Tracey Brown to talk about Dry January and Rethinking Drinking. This lively conversation touches on options to consider when dining out.

Rethinking Drinking at Nanaimo
The ReThinking Drinking initiative in Nanaimo is a community-driven effort aimed at reducing alcohol-related harms and promoting healthier drinking habits. Here are some key aspects of the program:

Community Awareness: The campaign encourages open conversations and small shifts in behavior to create more inclusive social spaces. It aims to reduce stigma and suffering associated with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Public Events: Events like screenings and panel discussions, such as the one featuring the documentary "Smashed: Breaking the Cycle of Alcohol Use Disorder," provide opportunities for community engagement and education.

Engagement Activities: Activities like trivia games and mocktail rewards at community events model inclusive ways to connect socially and raise awareness about AUD.

Policy and Education: The initiative supports the Canadian Alcohol Use Disorder Society's mission to promote research, education, and policy change that reduces stigma and suffering.

These efforts reflect a broader commitment to fostering a culture of mindful drinking and reducing the impact of alcohol on communities in Nanaimo.

Cathy Holmes Act3 Media Productions - act3mediaproductions.com