Three years ago a North Vancouver family faced a devastating situation after their teenage daughter was struck in a hit-and-run.
In 2021, 17-year-old Grace Haines nearly died after being hit near Keith Road East and St Andrews, while out for a run.
The driver was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to the hit and run, which left Grace in recovery for many months.
Her father Chris Haines said, “She has been through more than anyone who is now 21 should have to go through in life and she’s showing great resilience. She gets that from her mom and she is thriving as a university student.”
The experience was life-changing for the family and has prompted Grace’s mother, Andria Ink, to grow a new business – cultivating and selling flowers, often at farmer’s markets.
It’s very different challenge for the veteran of the Canadian Navy, but she’s embracing the joy it brings herself and others, saying “I love how when you give someone some flowers their face lights up immediately. They have so much joy in their face.”
Get daily BC news
She says her Inky Rose Flower Company is also therapeutic, adding that “there were some very dark days sleeping on the floor at Lions Gate and in the ICU… I am grateful for everyone that supported Grace.”
Selling her home-grown petals isn’t making Andria a millionaire, but the business is making her rich with happiness.
She said “There’s a gift in adversity and you just have to look for it.”