“They’re producing every meal as if it were going onto their family table, and we need more of that nowadays.”
He may have an artificial heart but there’s nothing fake in Brad Smoliak’s love for helping others.
Five years after receiving a new, battery-powered heart, Smoliak is back in the kitchen — albeit in a different role.
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The well-known Edmonton chef, who’s cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, is mentoring a group of Ukrainian refugees who work at Ukraine’s Kitchen, 12225 Fort Rd.
“For me, it’s almost been like a step back in time and having the ability to work with my babas, who were great cooks. It’s kind of a history lesson, a life lesson. It’s been lots of fun for me,” said Smoliak, who works with the group once a week.
“As soon as I came down here and started working with these ladies, I just fell in love with their stories and their positivity. It’s been a wonderful experience for me.”
Brink of death
For Smoliak, being a chef was his passion, his livelihood. But it was stripped away from him in 2018. Born with a congenital heart condition, Smoliak for the duration of his life had been dealing with heart complications. It eventually reached a breaking point while he was away working in Nova Scotia.
“I came back, and I was in really rough shape. I knew I was in serious trouble,” recalled Smoliak.
“I was in heart failure … and the simple fact was my heart was wearing out and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Doctors told me, unfortunately they can’t do a transplant for me, it’s just not viable.”
With that diagnosis, Smoliak was given just three months to live. But out of the blue, two weeks later, doctors called back to say he was a candidate for a procedure to receive an artificial heart.
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