"Tomorrow is another day."

“First off, I want to tell you that sometimes I lose my words. I swear. And this isn’t just my story, it’s our story.”

With that out of the way, Keswick resident Dave Carrigan, who lives with Lewy body dementia, and his wife, Kim, share their story, which starts almost 40 years ago with a blind date.

Kim had just returned to Ontario after working in Manitoba for a few years. She had been on a “few terrible dates” when her cousin set her up with her colleague’s brother, Dave, who was working at the time for “a little computer company called IBM.”

Dave said he remembers that Kim’s mother was “spying” on the couple as they left the house, with his future mother-in-law not quite trusting the man who was taking her daughter in his car to a faraway restaurant. 

“Cellphones didn’t exist then,” Kim said.

Kim said her first impression was that Dave “was a little chatty,” but they hit it off, getting “married two years to the day of that first blind date” at the Nottawasaga Inn just outside of Alliston on Aug. 26, 1989. The couple moved to Keswick in 1990. They have two children, Stephanie, who lives in British Columbia with her partner, Ian  and their one-year-old son, Wyatt, and Christian, who lives at home. 

Dave worked at IBM, developing internal call centres for 20 years, traveling all over North America.

“It was a great place to work. I loved working there,” said Dave, who was laid off in 2005 when the company downsized. 

“I continued to do some consulting work for other companies but realized there were bigger and better opportunities for me such as a catering business,” said Dave, who started Dave Does It All Gourmet Catering as a side business, cooking for friends and former colleagues.

“People knew from my IBM days that I was a pretty good cook. At the beginning it was just a side business, no pressure, just fun,” Dave said.

Kim said Dave loved to experiment and try new things. He watched cooking shows, read lots and was always one of the first in line for the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine.

“He would  think about something and he would  make it,” said Kim. “He liked coming up with neat presentations (for the food). Presentation was important to Dave.” 

In 2010, Dave went back to school for culinary management realizing his dream of becoming a chef two years later.

During school, Dave studied in France for a semester where he had the opportunity to prepare Christmas dinner for 30 people including a five-star general.

The Carrigan home was filled with dinner parties that often included tasting menus and multiple courses throughout the evening. Dave was the chef for those get-togethers, something Kim said she was always grateful for.

“It’s a bit of a joke,” Kim said. “I have to do the cooking now. I never had that passion that Dave had. I never had to think about it before.” Dave’s love of cooking was passed down to his children, Christian especially, who often cooks for the family.

An avid golfer, Dave started a men’s golf league at Orchard Beach Golf Course in Keswick in addition to golfing at other locations.

He combined his love of cooking with his love of golf, working as the head chef at places like the Briars Golf Club in Georgina and Silver Lakes in East Gwillimbury. 

“I always loved golfing and maybe the two things could go together,” Dave said about his decision to start working at golf courses, which is a more “precision operation.” Kim said Dave was the conductor of the kitchen, making sure everything was perfect. 

“There wasn’t anything anyone messed up that I couldn’t fix,” said Dave who, with a simple taste, knew what needed to be adjusted in a dish. It’s why he loved cooking. And didn’t love baking: less spontaneity, more rigid rules. Dessert was his least favourite thing to make, he said.

About three years ago, Kim said as a family they began to notice changes in Dave.

They went to their family doctor who was new to family practice and didn’t know Dave and wasn’t concerned about the issues that Kim mentioned. At that point, Dave was unable to  follow directions, couldn’t see things right in front of him and couldn’t write straight, with words overlapping each other.

“He couldn’t find the milk when it was  right in front of him,” Kim said as an example. “And it still happens,” said Dave, who said it’s very frustrating. He asks his family to keep everything where he knows it should be so he can find it. 

Dave went to more doctors: some conducted questionnaires, while others suggested he might have had a mini stroke or was suffering from depression due to stress and anxiety. Most said Dave was fine.

“I live with Dave and it wasn’t  OK. It’s not Dave,” Kim said.

It was an occupational therapist who conducted a home assessment shortly after Dave’s 60th birthday, who put them on the path for help.

“She advocated for us. She pushed us up the line.”

In February 2025, Dave and Kim met with Dr. Taureef Mohammed, who did some additional tests. This included a SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) brain scan, a nuclear medicine test to map blood flow and activity levels in the brain. 

“He diagnosed Dave with dementia, but he was not sure what kind. He was leaning toward frontotemporal dementia, maybe Alzheimer’s.”

Dr. Mohammed, who  was moving his practice from Newmarket to London,  referred them to Dr. Ameya Patwardhan, a cognitive neurologist, specializing in neurodegenerative disorders at St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre in London. They thought  they could be seen quicker and, as London is a teaching hospital, they also hoped they could get Dave into drug trials. Once in London, Dave did other cognitive tests  and was told that he “had all the markers for Lewy bodies,” Kim said. “Lewy bodies attack  the more cognitive processes part of the brain, which explains Dave’s inability to follow direction, think clearly  and see things right in front of him.”

However, “there is no test for Lewy bodies,” Dave said. “They will know for sure when I am dead.”

The additional testing and the diagnosis “all happened in that first appointment. They would not let Dave drive home afterward,” Kim said. 

The couple were silent on that car ride home, shocked by the diagnosis and the fact Dave wasn’t allowed to drive. By the time they got home, “we had decided that we will manage,” relying on family and friends to get Dave to work in Aurora. Dave’s boss was understanding, Kim said, and looked for ways to help him cope with the demands of a  busy kitchen. His boss also reduced his hours during the week to help him manage.

“At the end of the season, you knew that was probably it,” Kim said to her husband and Dave agreed.

Dave said at first he was “hoping I would get a pill or be cured. Right now there is nothing, no testing that will make things better.”

Dave is currently on a medication to manage his symptoms.

“It’s not a cure and we don’t know how long it will last.”

Dave still golfs at least twice a week and goes on walks to keep himself active and healthy.

“They want you to live as  healthy a lifestyle as you can,” said Dave, who tries to stay positive.

“It’s sad but it is what it is. My outlook at the moment is I can’t do anything about it but live life to the fullest and be happy doing it. And my family is helping  me do that.”

The couple still go out to dinner with friends, many  of them commenting that they don’t really notice anything different about Dave.

“I think Dave can muster all-hands-on deck for two to three hours,” said Kim, but it takes so much out of him to do that. 

“There is nothing you can do,” said Dave about the changes he is experiencing. “The only thing I want to say is that I get tired so easily. We have dinner, watch a show as a family and by 9 o’clock, I am like ‘OK, I am off to bed.’ One of the symptoms is tiredness.”

Dave’s symptoms change throughout the day but he tries to remember that tomorrow is a new day.

 “I am having more good days than bad days and I can’t keep the bad days away. When (Kim) gets home, I tell her, ‘I don’t think I had a good day, but tomorrow’s another day’.”

Kim said every day she learns what makes Dave’s life easier.

“Yesterday it would have worked, but today it doesn’t. It’s a learning experience.”

Part of her learning has come with her connection to the Alzheimer Society of York Region (AS York).

“I have taken workshops from the Alzheimer society. It’s been amazing.” Kim said she also loves the understanding that comes with connecting with AS York staff and fellow caregivers.

“Friends and family are understanding, but they don’t understand exactly,” Kim said.

The couple have taken part in AS York’s active living programs such as mall walking and Music and Memories, which they loved. Dave can’t do anything online so any programming the couple participates in has to be in person. 

“We look at the programs all the time and we will get involved in more things moving forward,” Kim said. “I feel really supported by the society.”

Kim said she has taken the caregiver workshops, which are really good and so “informative.”

Kim said as a couple, they have “deliberately decided not to deep dive into Lewy bodies disease.” 

“I can’t think it’s pretty,” said Dave. Plus, “there is nothing I can do to change it.”

Recently, Kim decided she wanted to learn more about the disease, although Dave reiterated he “doesn’t want to know.”

The couple are sharing their story to raise awareness about Lewy body dementia and AS York. They attended the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s earlier this year and in September, Dave is sharing his story at the Golf 2 Remember tournament at King’s Riding, where he is looking forward to golfing with his son.

“You know the phrase Hakuna Matata (from Disney’s the Lion King),” Dave asked? “It is what it is. I am trying to live my life as best I can.”

Kim said by sharing their story, she hopes other people will realize they are not alone.

“As a caregiver it is important to know that there are lots of resources and supports available to assist during all the stages of this disease. Making those connections won’t take away the issues but it will definitely make navigating the journey easier.”