The Backpack: Paul Bromby

Today's story belongs to Paul, of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Growing up can be tough, especially if you're juggling the responsibilities of childhood with the anxiety of caring for an ailing parent. For Paul, his mother's bipolar disorder was a constant fixation of his young life. It was a weight he carried with him wherever he went... that is until he first stepped foot onto a basketball court.

While pursuing athletics, Paul felt a sense of stability and control he hadn't yet known. He was a gifted basketball player, and his passion for the game would eventually secure him an exciting career in sports broadcasting. But all that time, Paul never forgot how hard it was to care for his mother at such a young age. This would eventually inspire Paul to share his experience vulnerably in a new children's book, The Backpack.

His mission: to let young people struggling with mental illness in their family know that they are never alone.

So, how does a career sports broadcaster shift radically to the medium of children's books? How did Paul come to reconcile his conflicted feelings about his childhood and mother? Listen to hear all about this and so much more in this story of strength, purpose, and vulnerability.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

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This podcast is on a mission to tell Canada’s love stories. Everyday stories of discovery, loss, curiosity, and love. Real people overcoming differences, distance, and doubt. Stories that are rich in character, colourful in setting, raw in honesty and inspiring in their complexity.

Love isn’t a straight line. It’s complex. It’s a journey. And everyone needs a good love story.

Join author, former news anchor, and lifelong storyteller Nancy Regan as she shares the extraordinary love stories from across Canada.