Tom Fortune, owner of the Oliver NAPA store is closing his business for health reasons.
Four employees are being laid off, stock will be cleared and the doors will close in about a month.

Greyhound and Purolator which use the NAPA store for their business have been given 30 days notice of the change.

Those are the cold hard facts.

There is another side to the story that needs to be told.

It’s no secret but Tom has a relatively rare condition – scleroderma.

Diffuse scleroderma is rapidly progressing and can affect one or more internal organs, frequently the kidneys, esophagus, heart and/or lungs. This form of scleroderma can be quite disabling. In Tom’s case it is in his lungs.

Five years ago while playing hockey Tom Fortune noticed that his breathing was weak. Doctors found the problem with a diagnosis of scleroderma.

Life for Tom has been up and down for that five years. Time to act.

The business is closing for a positive reason actually. To relieve the strain and to help with the next step in life’s journey. That step is getting qualified for a lung transplant and being able at the drop of a hat to get to Vancouver. Tom also has a rare blood type which makes it even more difficult to find a donor.

He says once he is qualified and on the list he must be prepared to move quickly and even after a transplant he would have to stay in Vancouver for up to six months.

Quite a lot to handle on top of regular family duties of being a husband, father, running a business and being active in his community.

We wish him well.