4 times Vancouverites' dads had their backs
Was there a time your dad went the extra mile to support you? You're not alone.
All week long, in the lead-up to Fathers' Day, CBC Radio One's The Early Edition has been asking listeners to share a story of a time their dad had their back — with the results hilarious, heartwarming and everything in between.
Here's a selection of some of the best stories.
Julie Hrvatin's dad toughs it out
It must have been in 2005 or 2006. My dad said he'd give me a ride to a calculus final exam I had in the afternoon.
It was a beautiful day, and my dad was trimming a large tree in our front yard. It was getting close to exam time and I heard my dad yell from the yard, "Can you take a bus to your exam?"
I started full-on panicking and frantically collecting books, yelling back, "No, I'll never make it in time!" After a pause, he yelled back that he'll take me, but we have to go now.
So we jump in the car, and take off. But I notice that my dad is grimacing and clutching his thigh with one hand while steering the car with the other. I asked what was up and he said he was fine.
I didn't quite believe him, but I was too stressed out about my final to ask any further questions. He dropped me off, said a quick "good luck," and yelled, "Take the bus home!" as he drove off.
I only found out after the exam that my dad had been using a circular saw to trim the tree and had hit a knot, which caused the saw to ricochet into his leg!
He drove me to my exam and then continued straight on to the hospital from there. I can't remember how many stitches he got, but it was substantial!
Melody Oshiro's dad goes the extra mile(s)
My parents split up when I was 13, and Dad moved about five miles away.
When I got a job at McDonald's, I got scheduled the 6 a.m. shift every Saturday and Sunday.
For more than a year, my dad would wake up at 5 a.m. on the weekends, drive to my house and take me another three miles more just to make sure I got to work on time.
He was proud that I had a strong work ethic, and was supporting me in that.
Once, on my sweet 16th birthday, my dad went through the drive-thru and gave me a wonderful gift of Chanel No. 5, in the gold bottle! I will never forget how special that made me feel.
He passed away that Christmas, and although that experience made life more challenging for me, I knew he wanted me to work hard, and it drove me in my life to make him proud.
Katie Fenn's dad hits the books
When I was 11 years old, I was assigned a project on Ancient Egypt by my very scary Grade 7 teacher: I had to create an ancient Egyptian artifact.
I was terrified by this.
My dad was a busy guy in those days, working nights at the hospital and waving at us when we went off to school in the mornings as he was just arriving home to sleep.
But he immediately saw my angst and trundled off to the UBC library with me in tow for some inspiration.
We sat in the stacks and read books on the pharaohs, the Sphinx and Queen Nefertiti. At home, using wet gauze strips and medical grade plaster, he gently helped me make a mould casting for a bust of Queen Nefertiti just as he made casts for people at the hospital.
I remember breathing from two straws out of my nostrils as the mould dried on my face.
Then, he let me use his prized paint brushes to boldly paint Nefertiti's face and an elaborate azure headdress. It was all pieced together in a magnificent, authentic papier-mâché bust — a glorious artifact that scared even my scary teacher.
Dad really came through. He taught me early on not to simply seek out a pharaoh as a little girl, but to become the pharaoh.
An anonymous dad stays with his son to the end
I am writing on behalf of my brother who left us about a year and half ago as a result of a fentanyl overdose.
My brother wasn't perfect. He suffered his whole life with mental health challenges which he managed in various ways — some healthy and some not so much.
The whole time, my dad was there trying to do his best. Twice he flew to Ontario to pack my brother up and drive a U-Haul across the country to bring him home so he could deal with his problems.
He paid for my brother to go to a stereo installation course when he was in his early 20s, even when I knew they didn't have a lot money, so he could give my brother a chance to have a career.
The list goes on, but in the end, he laid his son to rest, ending his journey and making sure he was looked after one last time by packing up his belongings.
This is a message for all of the dads who are going through the same challenges, to let them know to keep loving their sons and daughters, and to keep doing what they can to help.
Happy Fathers' Day to everyone.
Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.
