Gagandeep Kaur woke up one morning at home and couldn’t speak. She soon realized she was having a stroke. When she went to a clinic, the doctor prescribed her medication, and she was told to try meditation and exercise to relax her body.
This was the most difficult experience for the McDonald’s manager, as she never thought she’d have a stroke at the age of 24.
With tears in her eyes, Kaur spoke on the lifestyle she had at the time.
Kaur had been working hard at her late-night shift while also working another job, resulting in a lack of sleep. She also worried about repaying a close friend who lent her some money.
“She is not asking me to return the money, but I think if I do not return it this will bother me,” she said. “So I started working two jobs so that I could return [the money to] her. The McDonald’s team helped me by giving me paid vacations. I relaxed at that time because the doctor told me to take complete rest.
“My friends … motivated me and they always stood by me in every difficult situation.”
Her emotion could be felt through her words, an expression of defeat could be read across her face. Being in Calgary alone has been the hardest part for her through this experience, she says, as none of her family is able to care for her during this time.
