Dr. Vincent Adams is wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders – or at least 50 pounds of it.
The P.E.I. chiropractor strapped on a heavy vest Tuesday morning to raise money in a unique way for Lennon House, a new client-centred recovery facility in South Rustico.
Adams works on his share of clients battling addictions and mental health.
He also sits on the board of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, which has been working on the opioid crisis, pushing for more natural treatment of pain to reduce the incidence of people becoming addicted to potentially harmful and even deadly pain killers.
“Mainly what I saw in our health-care system is that there is that issue where people fall through the cracks,’’ says Adams, who has been plying his trade in the province for 25 years.
“I don’t know if it’s the fault of anybody in particular, but it’s just that people don’t get follow-up care and (are hindered to) move through the system in a better way.’’
Lennon House grabbed his attention. He is impressed with how the place takes people through the whole process of recovering from addiction and in dealing well with mental illness.
“They have a holistic approach,’’ he notes. “You can really work back into society.’’
So, Adams decided to turn to his 50-pound vest, which he has used in exercising, to make a difference.
He plans to wear the heavy vest all day and all night, taking it off only to shower, until he has raised $5,000 for Lennon House.
Make a donation
- P.E.I. chiropractor Dr. Vincent Adams plans to wear a 50-pound vest until he raises $5,000 for Lennon House
- To donate to his fundraiser go online to www.lennonhouse.ca and specify the donation is going to his Weight of the World fundraiser so he can keep tabs of how much has been raised
- Donations can also be made at Adams’ chiropractic offices at 337 Central St. in Summerside and 100 Capital Dr. in Charlottetown
He strapped on the black vest, which resembles a police officer’s flak jacket, Tuesday morning at work in Charlottetown to get the fundraiser started.
Early on, he almost flipped over the table while working on a client.
“I said to my wife, ‘I probably should have thought this through’, ” he quipped.
As a chiropractor, he would not recommend others wear a heavy vest as a fashion accessory for hours on end.
Still, he is keen to shoulder the load during a fundraiser he aptly calls Weight of the World.
“I’m looking forward to it,’’ he says. “At the end of the day, the money aspect is one thing – and that’s great – but I can’t believe the number of people that say to me ‘I didn’t know about this place, what is this place, what do they do?’’’
Adams says people are pleased to learn about Lennon House and what it does.
“People are like ‘wow, we have that on the Island’.’’
Recovery room
- Lennon Recovery House Association Inc., commonly known as Lennon House, was established in March 2017. This is the first non-profit organization in Prince Edward Island to establish a client centered recovery home of its kind
- Dianne Young, who lost her son, Lennon Waterman, in 2013 to suicide after a long-tormented illness of schizophrenia and drug addiction, is the driving force behind Lennon House, which is located in South Rustico in the former Belcourt Centre
- “The locale and the program meet specific needs of persons living with and recovering from substance abuse and subsequent mental illness,’’ notes the organization’s website. “It is especially designed for those who heal and thrive in a safe familial environment and an atmosphere of daily living with others in a spirit of cooperation, respect and creativity. Lennon Recovery House Association offers a number of alternative therapies and exercises.’’
