A Lake Country couple continues the memory of their son by making Christmas 2020 a memorable one for a local family.
For the past four years Addie and Chris Pafiolis have sponsored families with cash out of their pockets for gifts and food during the holidays.
So they decided to turn a heartbreaking loss into something heartwarming and positive.
In 2017, their son Theo was born with a birth defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The heart disease was undiagnosed until 36 hours after he was born. Unfortunately, the couple had to say goodbye just a few days after Theo was accepted into the world.
“We had five very short days with him before he left this universe for another, and one thing we wanted to do on his mind right away from 2017 onwards was to support some families at Christmas during difficult times,” said Addie.
That first year, Chris and Addie posted private messages on Facebook trying to find a local family in need of support.
“That was really special,” said Addie. “We really got them showered with some presents and some food for Christmas.”
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In 2018 they decided to split the support among several families. Through their company – SweetLegs Clothing Inc. – they purchased $ 6,000 Save-on Foods gift cards and distributed them to the community.
They bought gift certificates again in 2019 and found two local families to support them.
This year, in the midst of the pandemic, the couple were busier than ever, running an e-commerce business. However, given the additional needs of the local families, they tried to continue Theo’s Christmas tradition.
“I can already feel that there are many people in our community who could really benefit from an extra hand,” said Addie. “It wasn’t long ago when we were a family that could have used a little more love. I think it’s really important to just pass them on, especially at a time when everyone is struggling – mentally, emotionally, as you put it, Addie said.
Addie and Chris have raised and donated thousands on Theo’s behalf for causes ranging from the Canucks Children’s Hospice to a fellowship at George Elliot Secondary in Lake Country. But Addie says there is something special about helping people in their home church.
“It’s like a virtual hug to me,” she said. “Plus, it keeps our son’s memory alive, so it’s important to us.”
READ MORE: The West Kelowna store helps the community through difficult times
Brendan Shykora
Christmas
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