Steve Frey's Bio

I'm a 50 year old part-time accountant, with a concurrent disorder (mental health/addictions combo).

In my ealier years I went to North Vancouver High and specialized in basketball and sleeping.

After high school I dropped out of college and worked in a logging camp (with my father) for a couple of summers and then worked a succession of jobs starting with dishwashing (1 wk), lettercarrier (2 yrs), postal courier (1 yr), bakery (1 day), hospital laundry (1 summer), cab driver (1 yr p/t while at school).

I then quit working to concentrate on getting a degree from Simon Fraser University which I finished in 1986. Bachelor of Business Administration. Then I worked as a computer salesman (Paragon Computer/Doppler Computers (2 yrs), junior accountant (Vancouver Fancy Meats(fired 6 months), temp office worker (Weldwood Canada mail room (2 weeks).

I finally achieved a job I could keep in 1989 when I got a job as an accounts payable/payroll and jack of all other trades accountant at Betterest Vinyl Manufacturing (in Port Kells, Surrey, B.C.). It was a small friendly company with BIG financial problems (eventually going bankrupt two year later (1991).

I achieved my CMA accounting designation in 2001.
It's one my major achievements in life.
I also worked as an assistant controller at Umbro Canada Inc. from 1995-2000 (I started working at Umbro in 1992 as an accounting clerk and became the assistant controller around 1995).

When I was fired from Umbro in 2000, I got depressed, my mother was about to die soon from heart failure and I started using drugs to escape my feelings. I'm still struggling with addiction 7 years later (today). I've been to treatment in 2003 and again in June/July of this year (2008). I think I'm on the road to a longterm recovery this time. Time will tell if I am correct in my hope/vision!

My sister now has breast cancer. She was just diagnosed with it while I was in treatment (june 2008). My sister lives in Melbourne, Australia and was planning her families trip of a lifetime for this year. She's had to cancel her plans and postpone a trip because she is undergoing chemotherapy until December of this year (after already having a full breast removal one month ago).

I'm afraid of losing my big sis, "Debbie" and would like to dream of being able to go and visit her this christmas.

I haven't seen her since my mother passed away in 2001 (in New Westminster, BC). I haven't been on any kind of holiday for years because of my addiction/mental health problems and not being able to work to any significant degree since my mother passed away. The closest thing to a holiday I've had is attending the two treatment centres in 2003/2008. They were vacations only in the sense of going there to stay for the treatment rather than staying where I was actually living. (ie in 2003 I was living in a homeless shelter in Vancouver, in 2008 I'm living in a concurrent disorders transition apartment building in Vancouver).

I need a break and to see my sister again!

Can anyone help me with my dream?