Shane Christensen picture

Shane Christensen

Program: Protection Security and Investigation
Graduation year: 2013

I was laid off at 49 years of age after spending nearly 30 years as a printer and soon after, I enrolled in a two-year Durham College program (Protection Security and Investigation) specific to enforcement and security. I ended up finishing first in the entire program and was proud of the fact that I aced the mandatory fitness tests that many of my fellow – and much younger – students struggled with. My graduation day was extra special because my 3-week-old grandson made it to the event.

I did very well in college despite the fact that I had to juggle a number of responsibilities during my second year – full-time school, my part-time job as a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer for the Town of Ajax, as well as the demands of caring for elderly parents who were experiencing serious health challenges. Additionally, my middle son had been afflicted with schizophrenia for over a decade and this could prove challenging at times during periods of sporadic instability.

I was promoted to a full-time By-law position in 2015 and absolutely loved my job. I also got to a point in my life where I was experiencing the greatest joy and satisfaction I’d ever realized, despite some of the adversity.

In March 2017, I suffered a massive heart attack when a piece of plaque ruptured and caused a 100% blockage in an artery behind my heart. During the two days I spent in emergency at Lakeridge Health Oshawa where I was certain I was dying, my one regret was that I hadn’t done more to advocate for mental health awareness because my older brother also suffered with mental health issues that eventually ended up in his suicide in 1991.

After a successful angioplasty procedure, I spent weeks recovering at home with one overwhelming drive: I knew I had an important story to tell and as soon as I was physically able to do so I started writing about my health crisis. To my surprise, I found that even before I finished chronicling my own health experience, I knew I had to write about my brother and son as well.

The end result is an inspirational memoir titled Kicking the Darkness, which will be officially released in February 2020. Even though there are moments of tragedy in the book, it is an overwhelmingly positive statement that in order to overcome great adversity, a person has to always stay strong and never stop fighting against the tyranny and challenges that life can throw at you.