IMPACT VIBE 105

In 2011, a 17-year-old Khadija Gayle gave birth to a baby boy. Soon enough, she began to realise that there was something wrong. 

King Jay, as the baby was lovingly called, began to lose his eyesight, his growth stunted and appearance aged. Jay began to show symptoms of a rare disease; Cockayne Syndrome.

It was a difficult path to tread for Khadija, as she believes her son’s case was the only one in Toronto at that time.

Khadija did all she could, through this testing time - battling a rare disease, that was left undiagnosed for a while.

Today, Khadija is trying to encourage dialogue and raise awareness amongst communities about this rare syndrome.

Produced by: Fatima Husain

Guest: Khadija Gayle

Research Contributor: Elesha Nicholls

Filled with a passion for the written word, Pauleanna Reid would spend hours journaling as a child.  However, her inability to stand up for herself, being bullied all throughout her school years nurtured a deep sense of insecurity within her.

Her struggles followed her through her college life, where she suffered in silence with a plastered smile every day. Later, she was officially diagnosed with depression.

Determined to make a difference, Pauleanna soon braved her troubles and set on a path to become a writer.

Today, Pauleanna is a Canadian Journalist, author and a mentor, who has made a difference empowering women around the globe.



Guest: Pauleanna Reid

Produced by: Fatima Husain

Christian Levien is a lawyer with a practice. He was subjected to police brutality and beaten up for “no reason”. Christian was at University at the time. According to Christian, many members of the Black community are not aware of the type of resources (education or social capital) available to them when they face such situations. This is what made Christian decide that law school was the best for him so he could help educate those around him and uplift communities in similar circumstances. Today. Christian runs a GTA based law firm (Levien Law) and defends the marginalised. In short, Christian offers far more than just legal advice.



*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest/ interviewee and those providing comments (if any) are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of VX3 Exchange (CCCMAD Inc.) or any employee thereof. VX3 Exchange is not responsible for accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest. It is not the intention of VX3 Exchange to malign any community, religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual.

Domica Akena was nine-years-old when he first held a gun. He was abducted from his village by the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda and trained to be a child soldier. One fine day he escaped the clutches of the rebels and found his way to a refugee camp. Four years later, in this camp, he meets a pair of documentary filmmakers who capture the story of his harrowing escape, and this encounter ultimately changes his life. Today, Dominic is a documentary filmmaker based in Toronto, who uses film to process his traumatic past.



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*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest/ interviewee and those providing comments (if any) are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of VX3 Exchange (CCCMAD Inc.) or any employee thereof. VX3 Exchange is not responsible for accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest. It is not the intention of VX3 Exchange to malign any community, religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual.

Mental Health in the Afro Caribbean communities has long been a blind stigma filled with misconceptions and, covered with a ‘veil of shame’. Black people experiencing a mental health challenge are more likely to hide it or delay seeking help over the fear of being shunned or labelled by society. In this Episode, Actress, Producer, Filmmaker and Mental Health Advocate – Stacy-Ann Buchanan opens up about her trials and triumphs with mental health and giving a voice to Black Canadians living with mental illnesses.

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*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest/ interviewee and those providing comments (if any) are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of VX3 Exchange (CCCMAD Inc.) or any employee thereof. VX3 Exchange is not responsible for accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest. It is not the intention of VX3 Exchange to malign any community, religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual.

A disturbing, hopeful and inspiring story of Elizabeth Correia – who was brought up as a foster child, became a teen mother and is a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Elizabeth, who is now a mentor (and victor) has dedicated her life to teaching and helping woman and youth create a life they love. Her extraordinary story of transforming her own life from pain to purpose is the inspiration behind her mission to teach women and youth that it is possible to do the same.

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*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest/ interviewee and those providing comments (if any) are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of VX3 Exchange (CCCMAD Inc.) or any employee thereof. VX3 Exchange is not responsible for accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest. It is not the intention of VX3 Exchange to malign any community, religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual.