Hanif Balolia, right, with wife Mira Chen co-founded AgeComfort.com.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere without my father,” says Hanif. “He taught me that you have to give back to those who are less fortunate, and not necessarily with financial support. Time is good. Giving both is even better.”
His mother is also a hero. Her father had Parkinson’s disease and Hanif remembers his parents talking about the condition when he was young. He remembers his mother flying to East Africa to visit his grandfather often. “My mother kept a lot to herself. She would be there for longer periods, sometimes for a few months. I know she carried the family burden,” recallsHanif.
“I recall his shakes and tremors, but I have nothing but great memories of him – he travelled with us on vacations and safaris. My memories are better.”
It’s his strong belief in family and giving back that led Hanif to reach out to Parkinson Society Canada for Parkinson’s Awareness Month in 2013.
Hanif always tries to find a way to give back to the community and encourages his colleagues and customers to bring awareness to a cause even if it doesn’t directly affect them.
“Our customers are caregivers and for them, helping their loved ones is extremely personal. At times, our customer service representatives have been moved to tears when speaking with caregivers who call in looking for products and assistive devices that can help their loved ones live better with chronic diseases like Parkinson’s,” said Hanif.
This April, Hanif encourages people to support the work of Parkinson Society Canada in a way that is meaningful to them, adding that people can make a difference. A thousand small donations can sometimes be greater than one large donation.