“My name is David”

…my name is David and when I was home I dealt with many challenges from PKU (Phenylketonuria). PKU is a condition that I was diagnosed with since birth, affecting my protein intake. It has immensely affected my emotional, mental and psychological capabilities. My father was the primary caretaker of my condition, ensuring that I received the appropriate amount of protein daily. I grew up depending on him to ensure that I was receiving the appropriate amounts of nutrition, although this changed drastically when on December 15th, 2005, he passed away. At 11 years old, I was now fully dependent on myself to ensure that I remained healthy; however I didn’t manage my health properly. I wasn’t educated properly on the foods that I could and could not eat, and so I continued to eat improperly resulting in irreversible brain damage. I left home when I was 17 years old and moved into a group home to help take care of my health and provide me with better prospects for the future.

I have always had a strong interest in karate and the martial arts so when I came across the Canadian Martial Arts Centre, I knew that the possibilities there would be life changing. Soon after, Sensei Jonathan Kenney took me under his wing and offered for me to be a part of the Angel Fund. This was critical for me as, coming from a large family with a widowed mother and living in a community facility here in Oakville, I could not afford to pay for the membership fees.

Since attending classes at the Kaze Hatsu dojo, I have been given the opportunity to take part in several tournaments, such as: the Ontario Provincial Open Championships, D & D Martial Arts Tournament and Crispin All Trophies Event. These tournaments and the karate classes have allowed me to gain confidence, sport awareness, street awareness, respect, honour, teamwork and an overall healthy and physically active lifestyle.

…my name is David and I want to thank you for your help and support from the bottom of my heart. I may never be able to repay you but with the dojo’s help you can bet that I’m going to try!