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Thursday, March 29, 2018 5Brooklin Town Crier ed, neither store employees nor online reviews are necessarily more helpful than what that nice chap or young lady is hawking on my porch. The difference is it's my choice. It's not that I'm anti-salespeople either. I'm the son of one and the brother of another and both provided well for their families. So when the province's ban on door-to-door took effect on March 1, I applauded. Bill 193, An Act to prohibit door-to-door sales of certain products covers air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, water treatment devices and "any other prescribed product," which means items related to those on the list, like duct cleaning services or air purifiers. Products under federal jurisdiction, like telecoms, are not subject to the ban. Some other products didn't generate enough complaints to Consumer Protection Ontario to warrant inclusion. Of course, it also doesn't prevent any group like the two young guys I met from campaigning door to door. Which brings up an interesting scenario. The provincial and municipal elections loom. Will my sign stop candidates or their proxies from ringing the bell? Do I want it to? Should I add a caveat to that sign? "No Soliciting - unless it's for a political campaign and you can make a cogent argument for my vote." continued from page 2 WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! "The biggest lesson is how frail life is." - Jessica Hales Christmas Eve, 2016 - Jessica Hales is with family in Napanee. She goes to the bathroom and soon after is in so much pain that she's curled up on the floor, banging on the walls for help. She's rushed to the hospital where it's discovered her colon has ruptured, an event so dangerous that she's rushed into surgery. Doctors repair the damage and admit they've rarely seen such a case. In January of 2017, she sees a specialist at Mt. Sinai Hospital who is alarmed at her situation and admits her that night. One Brooklin Woman's Fight From The Brink By Richard Bercuson Jessica Hales with daughters Emery (left) and Sorelle 100 Women Who Care Brooklin Horticultural Society Brooklin Men's Hockey League Harvest Festival Run Hearts of Durham Optometry Giving Sight Outdoor Movie Night to End Hunger The Refuge (Durham Quarter Marathon) Sloane's House Respite Care Proud to Support Our Community Groups! Special Olympics Whitby Eagles Softball Whitby Wildcats 100 Women who Care Brooklin Horticultural Society Brooklin Men's Hockey League Optometry Giving Sight Outdoor Movie Night to End Hunger The Refuge Youth Outreach Centre Durham Quarter Marathon Sloane's House Respite Care Whitby Eagles Softball Whitby Wildcats Hockey Oshawa Shamrocks Softball Special Olympics Brooklin Players Immanuel Christian School Possibilities House For the next few weeks, Hales remains in the hospital, unable to eat, with an IV and ultimately home health care. Then, on March 17, she undergoes another surgery, this time to remove her entire colon. "It went well," she recalls, "but then the doctors said my body was not responding. They didn't know what exactly was going on. "It's pretty scary to hear that. I was in the ICU for a week and a half and I remember thinking that people die here. I could die here. We put our trust in the medical system, but sometimes..." Six years earlier, she'd been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a disease that causes inflammation and sores in the colon lining and is usually controlled or treated with medication. Flare ups can occur from time to time, though medicine doesn't know why nor why some people even get the disease. Theories range from stress to hereditary factors. In her case, the Christmas Eve attack came out of nowhere. What kept her positive, she says, were two things: her faith in God and the support of her church, the Harvest Bible Chapel Durham, located at the corner of Baldwin and Cassels Rd. "What helped me mentally, with all this fear of the unknown," she says, "was trusting in God. I referred to scriptures I'd memorized or worship songs." Moreover, the help from the church congregation was overwhelming. During her time in the hospital and home recovery, she and her husband Sean and their two young daughters were provided their meals and had groceries delievered, but it didn't stop there. Choking up at the recollection, Hales describes how the church paid for their hospital parking and even contributed to Sean's salary for his absence from work. Today, Jessica Hales is a proud stay-at-home Mom and, as a qualified teacher, is home-schooling four year old Emery simply because she can. The story does have an even happier ending. Healthy since being released from hospital nearly a year ago, she and Sean will become parents again in September. Hales will share her incredible journey at the Shine On event on April 9 at the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility in Ajax. The evening, which bills itself as presenting inspiring stories like hers, will send ticket proceeds to Wings Maternity Home. Tickets are $15 each or $100 for VIP tickets. For information, email shineonindurham@gmail.com. Advertise With Us 905.655.7642