VICTORIA, B.C. — If you ask Kirsten McVicker to describe her role as John’s home-care provider, she’ll tell you, “I consider him my boss and I’m just the staff.” But if you see the pair together, you’ll see they inspire each other to smile and laugh like long-time friends. “He loves life,” says Kirsten, who shares a home with the senior. “He just loves life.” John, who has special needs, also couldn’t be more passionate about Second World War history. “He lost his uncle in World War II,” Kirsten says, after John points to a black-and-white picture on the wall featuring his grandma and a Canadian prime minister. “His grandmother was given the Silver Cross by Lester B. Pearson.” John’s bedroom is decorated with planes from the period, his bedside table’s covered in historic military magazines, and then there are the framed photos of a famous British prime minister, including one above his pillow. “That’s Churchill,” John smiles, showing that what he lacks in teeth he makes up for with exuberance. “One of his favourite people is Winston Churchill,” Kirsten says. So, it was no surprise when John told Kirsten he’d dreamed of visiting the U.K. “He’s never really been anywhere,” Kirsten says. “So, I’m like—let’s do it right.” But they couldn’t afford it. So, Kirsten started working extra jobs, along with crafting beauty products, and selling hand-made jewelry to sell at community markets. “I’d do anything that I could do that would actually fund it for John,” Kirsten says. After two years, Kirsten did it. John couldn’t contain his joy. When you ask how it felt to arrive in London, John’s face blossoms into a beaming smile. They ate fish and chips, drank British beer, and when they weren’t posing with pictures of royalty, or taking pictures posing like royalty, they visited all the places every proper Churchill fan should. John was often inspired to recite highlights from PM’s speeches. “We will fight them on land. We will fight them in the air. We will fight them in the sea,” John says. “We cannot give up until we win this war.” But they both agree the highlight of the trip was Buckingham Palace. Kirsten had arranged for John to get a private tour of the Monarch’s London residence. She says they treated him like royalty. “It was very, very overwhelming for me,” Kirsten says, fighting back tears. “I kept (saying to John), ‘Do you see how important you are?’ To make him know this was all for him.” Because after living a life with far too many tough times, Kirsten wants John to know — like that Churchill speech about fighting on land and air and sea — she will always fight for him. “Anything I can do to make that man smile, he’s got it,” Kirsten says. And when you’ve got that, you don’t need Winston Churchill to write you a rousing response. “I feel like a luck ducky!” John beams. “A lucky ducky!”
