07/09/2026
From our incredible Founder, Carolyn Karle.
Reflecting ❤️🌷☀️
As we approach five years since we lost my beautiful daughter, Dayna, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting.
I often think back to the day (crystal )
Criss Pickering sat with me at my kitchen table. Along with one of Dayna’s closest highschool friends, we talked about how this couldn’t be the end of her story. We wanted to do something in her memory , something that would make a difference.
That conversation became the DEK Foundation.
It began with advocacy. We marched up Arthur Street, asking people to help us end the stigma surrounding addiction and calling for more detox beds because we could clearly see people were struggling and not getting the help they desperately needed.
Addiction is an illness. It deserves to be treated like one, and I will continue saying that for the rest of my life.
Once addiction takes hold, it changes the brain in ways that make recovery incredibly difficult. I don’t know what that feels like personally, but I have had the privilege of watching so many people fight their way back. I am so incredibly proud of every person in recovery. I can’t imagine the strength it takes to wake up every single day and choose recovery again , whether that’s through the 12 Steps, meetings, counselling, faith, family, or simply reaching out to someone who understands.
Some people are fighting that battle quietly, alone in their homes, trying not to reach for a drink or a drug. If that’s you, please know this: you don’t have to do it alone. Connection saves lives.
That’s why we started the DEK Foundation—to make sure people feel seen, heard, valued, and cared for.
The opioid crisis continues to impact our community every single day. We see the heartbreak, the loss, the trauma, and the struggles playing out on our streets. We know there are no simple answers, but we also know that compassion, connection, and support matter. Every act of kindness matters.
This week we’ve been driving around with coolers filled with ice, water, pop, sandwiches, and snacks, dropping them off to outreach teams who are out there every day helping people in this heat. We’ll continue doing that throughout the summer because everyone deserves to know that someone cares.
Every time I walk into my air-conditioned home, I am reminded how fortunate I am. Gratitude fills my heart, and it reminds me why we keep going.
Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to endure. The pain never leaves. But creating the DEK Foundation has given that pain purpose. Instead of focusing only on what we lost, we’ve been able to honour Dayna by helping others find hope.
To everyone who has supported us over the past five years—whether you bought a $5 lottery ticket, made a $20 donation, volunteered your time, sponsored an event, or contributed hundreds or thousands of dollars—thank you.
Every single dollar matters. Every volunteer matters. Every share, every kind word, every act of support has helped build something truly special.
None of this would exist without this incredible community.
From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my entire family, thank you for believing in our mission, for believing in recovery, and for helping us continue Dayna’s legacy.
Together, we will keep showing people that they are never alone.
With gratitude,
Carolyn Karle
Founder, DEK Foundation
The DEK Foundation
