By Stephanie Gauthier 害羞草研究所� Contributor.

Corey smiles easily. He laughs and he curses, and he害羞草研究所檚 hard not to like.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a joker,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l do something so stupid out of the blue to put a smile on someone害羞草研究所檚 face.害羞草研究所�

This is true for the staff at Ellis Place, a subsidized, supportive housing site in Kelowna where he now lives, just as it害羞草研究所檚 true for the people he害羞草研究所檚 shared emergency shelter spaces with over the years.

Time evaporates when speaking with Corey, especially when the conversation turns to motorcycles. He loves riding them and building them. He scrolls through photos on his phone, stopping on a video of himself riding a custom bike.

Corey uses a hand-operated clutch to shift gears in the video. He does so because he doesn害羞草研究所檛 have legs. They were both amputated above the knee in 2010. He doesn害羞草研究所檛 complain about this misfortune or feel sorry for himself. He jokes about it instead. He says it helps put people at ease.

害羞草研究所淲hat disability?害羞草研究所� He pads the seat of his chair in mock surprise. 害羞草研究所淢y legs, oh god, where害羞草研究所檇 my legs go?害羞草研究所�

Corey has a hereditary blood clotting disorder that led to the amputations. He shrugs about it now, saying he wouldn害羞草研究所檛 take back his legs even if he could.

害羞草研究所淚 do more with no legs than I ever did with them.害羞草研究所�

Corey has a long history with drugs. He used cocaine for ten years and opiates for 25, but he害羞草研究所檚 put all of that behind him.

害羞草研究所淚 still like to get some coolers on the weekend,害羞草研究所� he said. But, he害羞草研究所檚 left the harder substances in the past and he害羞草研究所檚 changed his lifestyle in a lot of other ways. He volunteers with his church now instead of running with motorcycle gangs. These changes tie back to Corey害羞草研究所檚 mother, who died from lung cancer in 2017.

害羞草研究所淚 was at her side when she passed away,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淪he always said to me, 害羞草研究所榣ife害羞草研究所檚 too short to be miserable, laughter害羞草研究所檚 the best medicine, and pay it forward.害羞草研究所�

Corey has lived at Ellis Place since December 2021. Before that, he was in an emergency shelter.

害羞草研究所淚n the shelter, you害羞草研究所檙e just in open pods so if you go to the washroom people are in your pod stealing. Here you have a locked door and workers that look out for you.害羞草研究所�

Visit the to read the rest of Corey害羞草研究所檚 story.

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