One mom creates a safe place for thousands

I ran into Shirley Hickman at the IAPA Health & Safety Conference yesterday. I was visiting the show with a new work colleague, so I introduced her to Shirley, who told her story: How her 21-year-old son Tim died in 1996 when a zamboni machine he was working on exploded due to faulty machine design.

I was struck again by the analogy Shirley uses to describe the lack of support in Canada a decade ago for the families of people killed at work:

"If my loved one had gotten cancer," Shirley said, "I could have easily found support from the diagnosis of cancer right through to after the death. But when Tim was killed on the job, I thought, 'where are all the other families going through this?'"

She couldn't find them. So Shirley created Threads for Life, which offers emotional support to those families - across Canada - as well as advice about workplace investigation and inquest processes.

There is someone out there for every need

I told Shirley yesterday, "I couldn't do what you do.. I just couldn't!"

I noticed my work colleague looking at me in surprise. (Afterall, she's seen me tell my painful, personal story over and over to the public.)

So I elaborated. "I couldn't sit down and talk with families who have lost their loves ones - it would just rip my heart out."

Shirley smiled and said, "And I couldn't do what you do, Rob."

I love how we complement each other. It isn't easy for Shirley Hickman; she does it for Tim (right). Just as I do it for Dave.

Shirley also does it for thousands of families across Canada - who would have nowhere to turn with their pain if it wasn't for her.