I survived depression.

My name is Delon and I was born and raised in Grenada, a small island in the Caribbean. I have been living in Canada for 19 years. Since coming to Canada I have experienced many ups and downs.

This is my real-life story.

Since my arrival, I have been trying to get on my feet. I have endured hardship and depression. I cannot even get a cell phone plan because my credit is so bad. I have had job after job, yet I still end on up my couch unemployed. I did not get to go back home to see my family for 18 years after my arrival in Canada.

You are not alone.

If you have been or currently are in a situation where you have been lost along life’s journey, then this story might be for you. We all experience turmoil and hardship. At some point, we all feel hopeless and useless. Sometimes we don’t feel like talking to anyone or being around anyone.

Maybe you have experienced sleepless nights. Maybe you have lost your appetite to eat your favourite foods or drink your favourite drinks. Maybe you have gotten fed up with disappointing and saying no to your kids. You are not alone.

The reality is life won’t always turn out the way you want it to be.

Sometimes life takes a wrong turn and we end up on a difficult journey. This journey might make it seem impossible to get back on the right path, even when you are trying your very best. When doors are slammed in our faces and applications have repeatedly been denied, know you are not alone.

I have begged so many people for money just to get through to my next paycheck. In fact, my begging got so frequent even my fellow church family started denying me. I have had 7 to 10 different collection agencies calling me every hour of the day.

My paycheque had been disappearing faster than I could keep track of. At this point, I had no choice but to declare bankruptcy, which was another big mistake. I felt really lost with nowhere and no one to turn to but God.

I had 2 choices:

(1) I could have given up and gone back home to start over. I knew in my heart that returning home after so many years with nothing would have made me a failure.
(2) I could stay here, fight, and ride out my storm

Well, I took option #2. In 2016, I finally got a full-time job as a driver delivering for a big electrical company. Things were starting to turn around, but I had one big fear. Doing this job presented a risk of injury. It was a lot of heavy lifting, and there were lots of dangers that were present on the job site.

For once I was happy. Finally, I was able to go back home to see my mom and dad for the first time in 18 years. However, while I was Grenada I was still stressed. I knew that when I came back to Canada I would need to face all those bills that I needed to catch up on.

In March of 2019, the nightmare started all over again. My biggest fear was right in front of me. I hurt my back while loading my truck one early morning. The injury was a result of a disc herniation. I was lucky enough for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board paid me for my treatments and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the treatment did not heal my back completely, leaving me with an injury that could lead to paralysis.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has stopped paying me and stopped providing my treatment. I am still at home and I am unemployed once again. My wife lost her car because she is the only provider of income. We have been behind on rent for 3 payments now.

Regardless of your hardship, know you are not alone.

Don’t give up my brothers and sisters. Life is a struggle. To obtain success, you must first face the storm and pain. One day things will get better. Let us fight for success. We will make it.

Trust in God. He will see you through.

With all that has been going on, i am at my weak point. There are not much left in me. I needed to let out and talk about it, but i have been told i have a losing attitude. I was told to stop complaining and being negative. It was behind hearth breaking to hear those words as i was only reaching out for some strength. But i was wrong, i just want you to know that no storms lost for ever. I know now that i have to find my own strength. Sometimes that is the only option that we have finding our strength. Sometimes its just us how ever if you are going through your storm, please do not give up things must get better. I promise.