Date Posted : December 1, 2024
by Naomi G. in : News and Events
On November 7, 2024, our asphalt plant manager, Dennis Eby, climbed the steep 66 stairs of our asphalt plant silo. No biggie, normally. However, he had hip replacement surgery just over two months ago on September 3, after losing his own original hip to cancer on March 27.
There is no one who could have approached this with more positivity than he has and 100%, without that positivity, he wouldn’t be here today.
We are no doctors, but we are pretty sure it is a no-no for him to be doing this climb again so soon. However, being the iron-firm and resolute man he is, he wanted to honour the handshake he had made with his friends a few months earlier, when he promised that he would ascend those stairs again once he beat his cancer. November's forecast offered the 7th as the only dry day in an otherwise very rainy month. So, on that day, he went climbing. The beautiful coincidence of this particular day was that it happened to be exactly the 66th day since his surgery - one stair for each day of recovery that led him up to that glorious moment of renewed health and strength.
This happened under his wife Laurie's radar. On November 29, three weeks after Dennis' comeback climb, Laurie learned about it for the first time when she watched a video of the climb during our year-end event at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. Her reaction was priceless, as was the pride Dennis wore on his face!
When asked about what was going through her mind when she saw the video, Laurie said concernedly, "… Well, if he’d like to spend a few more months in the hospital, then it was a fantastic idea, super smooth," followed by a forgiving laugh.
“But ... the look on his face … good for him. You always have to have the courage to move forward and he definitely has. We are all very proud of him. There is no one who could have approached this with more positivity than he has and 100%, without that positivity, he wouldn’t be here today," beamed Laurie.
“He had the support of everyone, especially the crew from the plant, like Jordan who was so helpful, really kicking it, stepping up, doing so much to help him. The whole crew was just phenomenal.”
On the morning of November 29, the day of our annual party, Dennis received the incredible news from his doctors that he was officially cancer-free!
Together We Have Kicked Cancer's Ass
Earlier this year, on June 12, 2024, a group of us gathered quickly to prepare a spontaneous surprise for Dennis at our head office. We propped up some signs and balloons and waited for him to walk into our display of love and support. We took that day to express our appreciation for Dennis’ bright, childlike spirit and to show him that we were all with him in his fight against cancer.