Willie Lam

Willie calls himself “survivor Willie” because of all of the challenges he has faced in his life. He grew up in Vietnam during the war, and spent two years living as refugee in Indonesia before he was able to emigrate to Canada.

For 10 years, Willie worked very hard – in a grocery store during the day and a restaurant at night – until he was finally able to realize a dream and open his own restaurant.

 Only three years later, life changed again for ‘survivor Willie’. He went into the bathroom one night, slipped on some water on the floor and fell, hitting his head – an accident that left him in a coma for 5 months and permanently disabled. He was only 31 years old. 

 Today, Willie is happy just to be alive. He talks openly about the fact that 40% of deaths are related to accidents at home. With the help of his electric wheelchair, though, Willie is able to be very active in the community. He volunteers at the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society, at the YM/YWCA, and at the Mount St. Mary Chapel. He also takes courses at Camosun College, and recently completed a certificate in accounting.

 Willie has a wife and two children, a son and daughter who are both in university. His wife visits every weekend, bringing him a home cooked meal. Willie loves the fact that Mount St. Mary is so accessible and close to the city centre, because it allows him to enjoy an independent life, enjoying his favourite activities in the community.

 Mount St. Mary Hopital’s Room Renovation project means a lot to Willie. In his room, the walls have many scrapes and gouges, and the heater, which has been severely damaged by the foot pedals of his wheelchair is now falling apart, and badly needs replacing.