A Cambridge woman is in the running to be named the Seasons 2023 Remarkable Resident.
Seasons operates retirement communities throughout Ontario and Alberta.
Each year, it hosts a program aimed at telling the remarkable stories of some of its residents.
Carla Wall lives at Seasons Cambridge and is one of three finalists in the contest.
Carla’s grandfather served in World War One and her uncles served in World War Two. When it came time for her to choose a career, she also joined the military.
“It was the best decision I think I ever made for my life,” she said in a video posted on Facebook. “It was a good career for all 24 years. Every day was a new challenge.”
Her career took her to Japan, Cyprus and Germany, and she spent seven years with NORAD.
It was during that posting when Carla discovered she had Huntington disease.
“It was a really rough period for me at that time because of that massive depression,” she described.
“I cried for months and I cried for my kids,” she added. “I just cried for a long time.”
Carla’s dad also had Huntington disease, and offspring have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene.
According to the Huntington Society of Canada, the neurodegenerative illness can affect physical, emotional and cognitive functioning.
“It’s kind of like Alzheimer's and Parkinsons and ALS all mixed into one,” Carla explained.
“The only reason why I’m here today is because I knew I had to stay alive for my kids.”
Carla is a long-time volunteer with the Kitchener branch of the Huntington Society of Canada.
“I figured if I got Huntington’s, I’d be a good candidate for research,” she explained.
Now she gets twice yearly medical procedures such as spinal taps and brain scans.
“I know there will be no cure for me but maybe for my grandkids there will be one,” she stated.
If Carla is named Seasons 2023 Remarkable Resident she’ll receive one month of free rent and a $10,000 charitable donation to a charity of her choice.
If one of the other two finalists wins, as a runner up, she’d be able to donate $5,000 to the charity of her choice.
Videos of all three finalists have been posted on Seasons Retirement Communities’ Facebook page.
The finalist whose video receives the most likes and shares will be crowned the winner.
Voting goes until Monday, June 26.