Leave a note …

June 15, 2008 on 2:46 am | In Guestbook |

Many people have left me notes through paypal and email. Now, you can also leave a note as a comment here …

18 Comments »

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  1. Greg;
    I am not into Facebook, so have not replied, but am happy to recieve an email with your website. You may not remember me, but I had the opportunity to work with you when you were overseeing one of the Norwegian ships in Halifax in 2006 and sales were the best I had and still have seen on that ship. You did a great job selling that Double Decker Tour!! I am so sorry to hear about your accident, it reminded me of how easily it could have happened to anyone of us. From what I have seen on your website, you’re staying positive, have goals and you have a great support system with your family and wife (Congratulations!!) I will do my best at the office to help you raise funds for your therapy. If everyone you know contributed even a little, it would definitely add up to make a difference. I will share your website and know that with your positive spirit and determination, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.
    Don’t give up!!

    Comment by Yvette Gagnon — June 15, 2008 #

  2. Hello Greg,

    I am Barbara, from Lisbon, Portugal. I got your contact through a friend on WAYN.

    You have an amazing story and lots of courage.

    I live everyday with a chronical disease and I must go to the hospital every 2 to 3 weeks to get intravenous treatment, and it must be done for the rest of my life. Even with these constraints, my story means nothing compared to your story.

    By my own experience, I realize that life changes in a minute or takes more than 2 years to realize what was wrong with you. I tell you, it was also quite a drama and one starts even to feel guilty because one is ill. But it gives us strength.

    I know it might look that my words are just that: words. I am a teacher and I have no close family (I live alone with my cat). My way to live is to touch lives at the faculty where I teach. Sometimes I am so tired (physically, I mean) and my students are sort of keeping me alive. As you can imagine, when a former student comes and says that s/he misses your classes, you feel that you did something right.

    In all this story you can say you are a really blessed man (I am not even religious but I can be quite espiritual). You have people that love you, you have a family that loves you and friends that share your story without making us feeling pity but almost “joy” for seeing someone overcome such difficult periods and experiences in life.

    I wish you all the best and I wanted to tell you that you are an inspiration for my life too. I deeply thank you.

    With warm regards from
    Barbara de Sousa Videira
    (Lisbon, Portugal)

    Post Scriptum: I love your pictures, all of them, but especially the ones after your accident. It gives hope and inspiration to people. One more time: I am gratefull to you!

    Comment by Barbara de Sousa Videira — June 16, 2008 #

  3. Greg,

    I still remember that evening on the Dawn when I was notified of your accident. What a horrible news: not only for the paymaster to check the crew member out because of the medical reasons but also for a friend! What I also remember is one of the nurses in my office, answering all the questions. I was told at the time “this will be a long way with no promises”…Well, I personally had no doubts you were going to make it. Look, how far you are now! I would like to see that nurse again to tell her about you and to give her your webside! I’m proud of you, Greg and I’m proud of Florentina. God bless her, God bless both of you. Please don’t give up because winners never quit!!!

    Comment by Beata Litwin — June 16, 2008 #

  4. Dear Greg,

    I agree with Beata. I will never forget the day you were hurt on the Dawn because everyone especially us cruise staff were shaken. Our thoughts were and will always be with you!

    You are such an inspiration. Keep looking up to the sky!

    Comment by Ingrid Carlos Thomas — June 16, 2008 #

  5. greg,
    my deepest wishes for recovery are with you and your wife. i knew you in highschool and you were always adventerous and outgoing. i don’t doubt for a second that you have stopped being that way now; and with having the strength and the support that you have i know you will make it through this time of your life. god bless and my prayers are with you
    alicia

    Comment by alicia fitzpatrick — June 17, 2008 #

  6. Hi Greg.

    We went to school together, many, many years ago!

    I’m sorry to hear about your accident, but I’m glad that you have a positive attitude towards everything. That’s so important!!!

    Your wife is absolutely beautiful, and I loved looking at your wedding pictures.

    Keep that attitude up! All the best.

    Comment by Marie Spanner — June 17, 2008 #

  7. Hey Greg!

    There are few days that pass without us thinking about you or discussing you guys. Our hearts are broken for you and Flo, but instead of feeling sorry for you, I want to encourage you never to give up, or loose faith. We cannot choose what will happen to us, but we can choose how to react upon that what happen to us.

    When my stepmother shot and killed her two kids and herself, I felt that life owed me… Two years later my dad shot himself… In the 17 Years that passed I learned that life sometimes deals with you harshly and unfairly. There’s nothing you can do about it. The good comes when you see God revealed in your pain and dissapointment. If it wasn’t for Jesus in my life, I would have given up hope long ago…

    We are committed to keep you and Flo in our prayers.

    Love, Burd Cordier

    Comment by Burd Cordier — June 18, 2008 #

  8. Hey buddy!

    Keep up the excellent progress and I wish you the best.

    Garret

    Comment by irelandg — June 23, 2008 #

  9. Hi Greg,
    Long time no see, last time we hung out was when you came to Salmon Arm with my brother.
    My dad had told about your accident, and I now just heard about your website….. I wish you nothing but the best….. I see you have an amazing wife…..

    As for me, I’m a community support worker, so I am fully aware of what you and your wife deal with daily.
    I have 2 wonderful boys, keegan is 6 and Drayden is coming 3. They keep me busy !

    Well I must run, I hope to hear back from you.
    Take Care
    hugs

    Comment by lindsay Walter — July 1, 2008 #

  10. Hi Greg…I finally got the time and…let me be honest, the guts to write to u after so long time…since your accident and the last time we saw each other…I am saying ..the guts…because in this kind of moments, I really don’t know what to tell u to make it a little easier for u and Flore…I wish I knew and I wish we could do more to help u…It seems so long time ago when we had a wonderful time together and I finally met the man who makes my Flore so happy…
    We want to tell u that we are thinking about you and keep u in our prayers all the time, we have no doubts that soon u will be able to be the same GREG I know and you guys will come to visit us in Cape Town. I heard you have so many friends here…
    Dear Greg, we wish you all the best and please take care of Flore, I miss u a lot guys and I hope we will see each other very soon…

    Comment by Stely & Clinton Dante — July 7, 2008 #

  11. Hi, Greg. Jodi here from the Hope Fraser Canyon Career Centre… Since I left to follow my man down to New York I only heard from Janet one time that you were down in the Caribbean living your dream, diving. Just today I read about your current situation when I followed a link to your FaceBook group. I’m so sorry to hear about your accident, but so very pleased to hear that you got to spend some years following your dream of dive-instructing. It sounds like your strong positive attitude hasn’t changed. I remember being able to give you the good news that you could go do your diving training and how stoked you were about that. That is one of my best memories from that job! I wish you the same kind of success in your pursuit of regaining use of all your limbs.
    Also, congratulations on marrying an obvious gem of a lady. I wish both of you only the very, very best in the years ahead. I would love to hear from you about some of your diving experiences and how you got to where you were in management!

    Comment by Jodi Weening (Bisschop) — July 16, 2008 #

  12. Hi Greg,

    Thought I’d leave you a message on your website as I’m not sure how often you check facebook. I’ve been meaning to send you this info for some time now so please forgive my procrastination ;-) My fiancee works with several wheelchair athletes (of all abilities - some have competed at the national and international level), one of whom lives in BC (I think Vancouver). His name is Kelly Smith - not sure if you’ve heard of him before. If not, you might want to check out his website (www.wheel-power.com) as I think Kelly would have much to share with you given his path to recovery (in 1991 Kelly had a rock climbing accident that left him partially paralyzed) and his ability to inspire others. I hope the two of you will have an opportunity to connect in the near future. I too hope that I can make it out to see you and Floey at some point! Hang in there and keep up the great progress!!

    Cheers,
    Jay

    Comment by Jayson Doll — September 5, 2008 #

  13. Hi Greg,

    I’m not sure if you’ll remember me, but you know my sister: Lizeth Smith, South Africa. I did one cruise in Alaska with her in 2006 and met you briefly.
    I’ve been following your progres a bit, and would like to make a donation. But I’m not sure what would be the best way. I’m a bit concerned with using Paypal, as it seems my Credit Card details (including 3-digit security code) will be saved, even though it’ll just be a once-off donation. I’m a bit concerned about the safety? Also, I don’t want a percentage to be subtracted, but on the other hand I doubt that a South African cheque will be useful in Canada? I actually don’t know!
    Could you please email me?

    Thanks!
    God Bless!
    Mariette Smith
    South Africa

    Comment by Mariette Smith — September 29, 2008 #

  14. It’s been 15 minutes already and I don’y know how to start…

    Let me introduce myself first: I worked with you on the Dawn back when Dominique was your Manager at ShorEx and Florentina was my Assist. Manager in the Gift Shop.
    I even took one of those pictures from the crew bar and I remeber “fighting” with you for the camera to erase another one you didn’t really liked…(It was some party, or even close to New Year’s holidays.)

    Why am I saying this? Out of all the memories, one stood apart: i remember that extremely stong grip on my wrist when you asked for the camera!
    I remember you as one of the most powerful and mentaly strong peple I had the chance to meet while working on that ship! Funny, witty, andventurous…
    I only found out yesterday, from an ex crew member, Camelia. And here I am today, writting to you and Flory.

    We were never friends or co-workers; there were those days when we used to work on the private island…But still, I could’t help but thinking of you two all day long.
    You might have heard about me…i was the most notorious “criminal” that worked on cruise ships in 2005…I felt that my entire world collapsed those days…I was broke and broken, with no sunshine on my window (and that’s so much more than a figure of speech!)

    Back then, I remeber that I used to tell myself:
    “Once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up!”.

    And I made it. Better than expected and sooner than hoped for!

    You are a great guy and you are blessed to have an amazing woman by your side! All my hopes and prayers are with you. (I have a 5 year ban to enter North America, starting 2005. By the time it expires, I am confident that you’ll make major progres!)

    And, to the best of my financial power, I’ll help as often as possible.

    Stay positive and fight!
    You’ll make it!

    Comment by Razvan — October 21, 2008 #

  15. Hey Greg,
    Wow, I can’t believe how many adventures you have had in your life. lol, I moved to Texas, that’s about as exciting as it’s been for me. I’m sorry for the pain and frustration you are going through but I am proud that I “know” someone like you. You seem so positive and driven. I know when we were in school together we didn’t travel in the same circles, and to be completely honest, you usually pissed me off, lol.

    You are in my thoughts and prayers.

    Comment by Sue-Anne Catt Cherry — December 1, 2008 #

  16. Hi Greg,
    I was looking for a Fes 300 picture, which has to be inserted in our newsletter (I’m a volunteer of an association which helps people at the Spinal Unit of Milano, where I spent part of my rehab), and I found your site.
    I’m an Italian quadriplegic C6-C7, had my accident in Australia. I found so many things we have in common.

    Be as stronger as you can, but show your weakness sometime: it’s healthy.
    There will be moments you hate your present life, especially after many days of continuous and strong pain, and maybe detest yourself because in these moment we are verbally aggressive with the people who love us most. Eventually they will forgive us, eventually we will forgive ourselves.

    The best of luck.
    Simo

    Comment by Simona — February 2, 2010 #

  17. Hi Greg,

    I was trying to throw another few bucks in the bucket but I can’s see any way to do it on here. I thought it was pretty easy last year but now I can’t find a way even though I have spent some time looking.

    On another note, it’s great to read that your have had seen some positive results from all of your hard work.

    Hopefully you can add some sort of link on the home page that will allows us to feel we are helping to support you in some small way on your journey.

    Take care for now,
    Barry

    Comment by Barry Ward — March 28, 2010 #

  18. Hi Greg!
    We have never met but my son Jordan goes to PATH-SCI in the mornings so I have heard all about you! Welcome to Victoria and to PATH! JJ and Jason are both utterly amazing people so I think you have ended up at the right place. Jordan is a changed person, both physically and mentally, in the year and a half since we arrived here.
    Best of luck with your therapy and maybe we will cross paths one day!
    Diane

    Comment by Diane Drouillard — April 22, 2010 #

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