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Support leads to new lease on life

Between multiple suicide attempts and crash that should have killed him, Rob Atkinson has been given a lot of second chances at life
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Rob Atkinson chats with Barb Keith over the holidays as she thanks him for sharing his story for a special film she created with Jim Elderton to show Kalamalka Rotary members how their funding for places such as Bill’s Place has helped alcoholics and drug addicts turn their lives around.


Between the multiple suicide attempts and the drunken crash that should have killed him, Rob Atkinson has been given a lot of second chances at life.

But the one that really saved him was the opportunity to get sober.

“I never thought I could have a life,” said the 45-year-old who was ruled by addiction but has been sober and straight for three years now.

The former Williams Lake resident, who spent his summers in Vernon and now lives here, was given his true life-saving chance thanks to the John Howard Society.

He went from 20 years of drinking his life away to going to school, discovering a life of sobriety and now he makes a living helping others.

“For the first time in a long time I actually had something, and I saw something in the other guys,” said Atkinson, recalling his stay at the recovery home Bill’s Place.

Like the many individuals who have been granted a life-saving second chance at the home, Atkinson’s new life is thanks to Kalamalka Rotary.

The programs and support offered at Bill’s Place and the John Howard Society are funded in part by Rotary. To help show members just how vital their fundraising efforts are, Atkinson’s story was recently shared at a meeting.

Rotarian Barb Keith enlisted the help of Jim Elderton, independent filmmaker and former BBC video editor, to create a video sharing Atkinson’s story.

“I wanted the members to really see how impactful their money is,” said Keith, who also works with Powerhouse Theatre.

A compelling video was created thanks to Atkinson opening up and sharing his story.

Before he was introduced to his new sober life, Atkinson was stuck in an “evil cycle.”

He moved around a lot, and it was when he first moved to Vancouver that he got into drugs. But alcohol remained his biggest problem.

He had the best intentions in life, and with every job he had, but somehow always managed to end up drowning any success he acquired in the bottle.

This usually led to his self-destructive state, one of which he was so desperate and depressed that he cut both his wrists.

“The doctors told me I missed by just under a millimetre,” said Atkinson, showing the scars that reach from his wrists to his elbows.

Despite the near miss, his actions persisted.

Another drunken evening Atkinson ended up behind the wheel and drove through two wooden power poles and a concrete one.

He woke up in the hospital where he was told he shouldn’t be alive.

But again, he didn’t stop.

“You think I’m going to let a near death experience slow me down,” said Atkinson, recalling his former life.

He moved back in with his mom after the accident, but she soon had enough and kicked him out.

His father, who had passed away, left Atkinson a house in Vernon, along with an inheritance, so he moved here. But he continued down his destructive path and drank his money away.

A neighbour interrupted his attempt to hang himself, which was followed by previous attempts using a self-created guillotine.

He was forced to sell the trailer and ended up living on the streets. But following the bitter and frightening evenings he soon decided to admit himself to the hospital, where he knew he could find a bed and warm meal.

It was there that a nurse introduced him to a 12-step program and then to Bill’s Place.

And it was then that his life took a turn for the better.

“My life’s just too awesome right now to even contemplate having any alcohol or drugs,” said Atkinson, who was able to go to school and now has a job he loves.

Working with men who have such conditions as fetal alcohol syndrome disorder or autism, Atkinson helps them make proper choices in life with seemingly simple tasks such as grocery shopping.

“I had a choice, he (client) was born this way, he never had a choice.”

Atkinson thanks Rotary for making a difference in his life so that he can do the same for someone else.

“They funded the love that brought me here today,” he said. “Without contributions from places like Rotary, Bill’s Place probably wouldn’t even exist.”

After hearing Atkinson’s story through the video, followed by his speech, Kalamalka Rotary members were touched to see just how much of a difference their efforts are making.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” said Keith, adding that Atkinson was given a standing ovation for his own work in bringing his life around.

 



Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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