Laura Armstrong became a continuing care assistant because she wanted the elderly to feel they have purpose. She never thought she’d be in need of care herself.
A 48-year-old mother from Bible Hill, N.S., Laura unexpectedly found herself dealing with a continuous battle of workplace bullying.
In February, her emotions came to a head.
“It’s just been an ongoing negative environment. We just needed to rein it in. Somebody just had to step up and say, ‘I’m not going to take it anymore.’”
“I just happened to be that person.”
Laura went to the emergency room to try and get some answers.
“It took me three tries before I could actually go and sit and see a doctor,” she says. “It happened after my issues because it made me think, ‘am I really worthy?’”
Laura has since been diagnosed with anxiety and depression – two things she never thought she’d have to face.
“Some days are harder than others,” Laura says. “Some days I’d like nothing better than to sit on my spot on the couch and just close myself off.”
“But with family and friends, I have to put myself out there.”
And family is something Laura Armstrong holds close. Not only is she the mother to three grown adults, but she’s also the primary caregiver to her nine-year-old grandson Brandon, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism prior to starting Grade Primary.
“He’s got some interesting little quirks, but every quirk about him makes him that much more special,” Laura says.
Edna Knockwood, who’s been a friend of Laura’s for upwards of 20 years, says Laura is one of those people who would drop anything she was doing, just to lend a hand.
“The few people who do do that, they need to be rewarded,” says Edna. “She’s a tremendous friend.”
Much has changed for Laura since February, including her recognition of what she needs to do to get back to being her old self. That’s why she submitted her own application as a contestant for Makeover Monday.
“I wanted a reset,” she says. “I don’t want to be invisible. I wanted to be standing out and say, ‘I am a strong person. I will not be broken.’”
