The purpose of this page is to provide a forum for all to share their stories.
Anyone who has participated in this pool tournament over the years has heard my story.
They know that the death of my parents spawned a deep seated need in me to raise money for
the Heart and Stroke foundation. I have found over the years that the support I received
from my fellow pool players has helped me channel my grief into a positive experience of
raising money for research. Sometimes just telling people my story helps me to put into
perspective a grief that can be all consuming. I would like to hear from you, either stories
of people you have loved and lost. Or maybe people you love that have suffered a heart attack
or a stroke and have been saved because of new techniques and medications that are now available
because of the great work of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Maybe it’s you who has heart
troubles. Whatever your story is, you never know perhaps your story will give someone else
some insight or strength they didn’t know they had. Everyone has a story worth telling…..
what’s yours?
Here’s mine:
Back in 1983 my mother Mary Morrison was a vibrant woman who had a zest for life like no
one I have ever known. It was a Sunday morning in late January when after returning home from
church she enjoyed breakfast with her family and was sitting at the kitchen table. My older
brother John had just asked Mom if she would come back to Hamilton with him and help him do
some wallpapering and painting in the house he had just bought. Mom just sighed and said “Oh
Johnny I would love to do that, but I have a terrible amount of work to do around here.
Perhaps some other time.” What she didn’t know was there would be no other time. She slumped
down in her chair suffering a massive heart attack and my mother was dead before she hit the
floor. She was only 50 years old. She had no previous symptoms and no warning.
In July of 1994 my father Len Morrison Sr. suffered and survived a heart attack. He was
hospitalized and recovered but he needed to have bypass surgery. Surgery was scheduled for
February 8th 1995. My Dad felt like he was living with a time bomb in his chest. Finally,
February came. Dad was checked into the hospital and was prepared to have his surgery the
next day. My brothers and sisters and I all knew that this was a dangerous surgery. And in
some capacity we knew we had to say good bye to Dad – you know just in case. We gathered around
our Dad in his hospital room and instead of crying we enjoyed our time swapping stories,
reminiscing and laughing; actually it got quite rowdy, so much so that the nurse came in and
told us we either needed to share what was so funny or keep it down, that just broke us up
even more. I am happy to report Dad made it through surgery and was on the road to recovery.
Forty Eight hours after surgery Dad was moved out of intensive care and into a semi private
room. He also had no heart monitor on. We thought that was a good sign.
My Dad didn’t believe in saying good bye. Even when I was a girl going off to school or out
with some friends, I would say “Bye Dad” and he would always say “God Bless You Barbie”. So on
February 11th I decided to leave the hospital. Dad was doing well, he was so excited to have
another shot at life. When I left I gave him kiss and as I was walking out the door, I turned
around and said “Bye Dad, I love you”. He waved at me from his hospital bed and said “God Bless
You Barbie”. I got a call in the wee hours of the morning of February 12th, my Dad had died,
he was 68. He died in his sleep. He had another heart attack and because he was no longer on
a heart monitor no one knew he was in trouble until it was too late.
I decided after the death of my father that I needed to do something to help stop heart
disease. I called the Heart and Stroke foundation in Owen Sound. I told them my story and I
asked them if there was anything I could do to help them. They accepted me as a volunteer and
in February 1996 I did a door to door collection in Paisley for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
I went out faithfully every Saturday and tripped over snow banks and slipped on ice only to
collect $100.00 at the end of the month. That to me didn’t seem like I was doing enough. I
said as much to my husband John. I just felt there had to be a better way to raise money.
John suggested why not hold a pool tournament. At the time Wayne Peachman was considering
doing a spring time tournament with the 3 division format. We just thought hey we should join
forces and make some money for Heart & Stroke research. In March of 1997 The Morrison Memorial
Heart & Stroke Pool Tournament was born. The rest as they say is history. I’m proud to say
that God had blessed me. He has blessed me with you, the pool players, who without fail reach
into your pockets every year and help us reach our goals. Who could ask for more..
Together I know we can make a difference. In the words of my father, God Bless You.
Barbara Labombard (nee Morrison)
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