Continuing my goal to become a Karate Black belt, I worked extremely hard at the discipline and on June 4, 2023, I achieved my goal of becoming a black belt and earning the title of Sensei Luke Savoie.  I will continue my growth in the art of Karate with leadership roles that will grow my confidence and my ability to promote a positive lifestyle that comes with being a respected Sensei.

I worked very hard and was determined in Karate to move higher up the belt line and on August 20, 2022, I earned my Brown Belt.

This performance was one where I felt very nervous because I did not have the original soundtrack playing in the background.  I wanted to sing this song because my brother is in the military and I pray he will never suffer from PTSD.  I changed the last line to sing Canadian Soldier, instead of American soldier for my brother.

The song is "A Soldier's Memoir" by Mitch Rossell

Lyrics

Been home about six months now

But I still have my doubts

Well I'm not sure how I got here

Or how I'm gonna get out

My mama says I look the same

As I did before I left

But if she could see inside of me

It would scare her to death

I can still taste the powder

From the barrel of my gun

I can hear my sergeant screaming

"Run, soldier, run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulders

God it weighed a ton

And I see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

I just can't get it off

Last Saturday they honored us

In a small parade downtown

And when they shot off those fireworks

I nearly hit the ground

And while they smiled and cheered for us

All I could do was stare

Cause part of me is here at home

And part of me is back there

I can still taste the powder

From the barrel of my gun

I can hear my sergeant screaming

"Run, soldier, run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulders

God it weighed a ton

And I see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

I just can't get it off

Yeah there's no end in sight

'Cause even though I'm home now

I'm still fighting for my life

I can still taste the powder

From the barrel of my gun

I can hear my sergeant screaming

"Run, soldier, run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulders

God it weighed a ton

And I see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

I just can't get it off

Well the devil's won some battles

And he may win some more

But don't he know the Canadian soldier

Will always win the war.

My singing teacher wanted me to perform on stage.  I felt very nervous doing this but, with her encouragement and my family's encouragement, I did it.  I want the soundtrack playing in the background and it did give me more confidence with the music playing along with me singing.

The song is "Between the Roses" by SayWeCanFly

"Between The Roses"

If you ever feel like I did when you slip between the cracks
Maybe then you’ll see how nothing stays in tact
And when my life is over maybe you can understand
That I planned everything, but nothing went as planned
It’s nothing personal, I just want you to know
I tried to understand

You tortured me with the silence in your throat
And you tortured me with the stillness in your bones
You kicked the chair from underneath my feet
You must have seen the noose made out of roses that I wore to guarantee
That you couldn’t go, that you wouldn’t leave me all alone
Cause if you did, you’d see my body hanging just above the floor
Beside a note, to tell the world how terrible it was
To fall in love with someone capable of cutting out my tongue,
Of cutting out my, of cutting out my tongue

So did you just forget, or do you really not remember
The bullets that we took so we could stay alive forever
And did you just forget, or do you really not remember
The poison that we drank, so that at least we’d die together

It’s comforting to fall asleep alone
And it’s comforting because it’s all I’ve ever known
If I should die before I wake
I pray to God my soul will find a peaceful place
Between the roses, between the roses
Because the earth is only pretty for so long
Between the roses, between the roses
You were the only one I’ll trust to sing along
To sing between the roses, sing my song

So did you just forget, or do you really not remember
The bullets that we took so we could stay alive forever
And did you just forget, or do you really not remember
The poison that we drank, so that at least we’d die together

As the sun went down, our hearts were heavy
We knew it was time, but I was not ready
To let you go, to say goodbye
To a love I thought would never die
You were quiet as hell and you looked so sad
As I kissed your lips with my regrets
In hopes that maybe we’d pretend
Forever never had to end

La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la la la la
That maybe we'd pretend
Our hope had died, but our love’s not dead

So grab your black umbrella and make your way down to the graveyard
Where you’ll find the tree to which I tied this rope
And nothing is for certain, that’s the only thing I know
But I’m certain that it’s time for me to go
It’s nothing personal, it simply hurts to know
That I will be alone

 My job out of college:

In April 2020, I had an interview with Dollarama in Stittsville.  I was a little nervous going to the interview but I was prepared with the help of my job coach, Michelle, from Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care.

My job title is merchandizer.  Dollarama is very close to my house which I like since I don't have a driver's licence. I could take the bus but my parents are able to drive me to and from work.

With Covid rules in place, I have to wear a mask during my shifts but that is not a problem. 

I have now been with Dollarama for almost two years.

Ready for work!

Karate

I started Karate at Douvris Karate (Kanata, Ontario) in 2019.  

I earned my Yellow Belt - August 24, 2019

I earned by Orange Belt - January 25, 2020

I earned my Green Belt - August 29, 2020

My mom was able to take a video of me during my green belt grading. Because of Covid, no one could come in to watch, but my dojo set up a ZOOM link so my parents could watch me.

Doing the grading was not too hard for me, but the kicks were the hardest as I had to really work on keeping my balance. I am proud of my accomplishments through karate. Going to karate is helping with my balance and it helps strengthen my muscles.

 

I earned by Blue Belt - September 25, 2021

 Music 

Music is a big part of my family.  My mom and my brothers play guitar and piano.  I really enjoy music and I love to sing.  I started singing lessons in 2019 as a way to help with my speech and it is a lot more fun that going to speech therapy. 

I enjoyed going to singing lessons in person but when COVID hit, I had to do all my singing lessons online.  I am glad that singing lessons continued.

In singing lessons I can pick the songs I like. I work on the music with my singing teacher, Diana.

My brother Eric has helped me with learning notes on the piano. I like to try to play songs I know.

I try to use my two hands when playing on the piano but it is not always easy, but I do enjoy trying to pick out songs on the piano.

I have to do a shout out to my first cousin Drew Moores.  Drew lives in Nova Scotia and is in a band called "Caribou Run"  A few years ago they played here in Ottawa when they were on a music tour. I was really excited to go and see them, that was my first live concert.  

Luke's College Graduation

After attending St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario, I has completed all requirements for my diploma from the CICE program (General Arts and Sciences) with a 3.84 GPA.

St. Lawrence College - 2019

All things are possible if you have the drive, the will and the determination - Luke Savoie

Cerebellar Agenesis

Cerebellar agenesis is an extremely rare condition. Cerebellar agenesis is a descriptive term implying complete absence of the cerebellum, irrespective of its underlying cause (etiology). Usually, small remnants of the cerebellum are present; therefore the term subtotal cerebellar agenesis is also used in the literature. It is now recognized that cerebellar agenesis can represent a primary disturbance of embryonic development (also called malformation), but it can also result from a secondary destruction of normally developed tissue (also called a disruption). (See the Causes section in the link below for additional information). It is now established that the cerebellum is not only responsible for motor coordination (of muscles, the trunk and limbs, the tongue, and the eye muscles), but also plays an important role in many non-motor functions, including learning, memory, language, and behavior. Therefore, individuals with congenital as well as acquired cerebellar disorders often have learning disabilities, impaired executive functions, and variable degree of cognitive impairments.

For more information, follow this link to NORD 
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cerebellar-agenesis/

Luke's MRI

Here is a picture of my brain compared to a "normal" brain.

This is what a normal brain looks like with a cerebellum:

This is my brain - showing the cavity where the cerebellum should be:

Luke's official Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIcvTAZV6x6k1PO4IaER95Q

Check out my broadcast from my PlayStation 4! #PS4live (Assassin's Creed® Origins) live at

Going to ancient Egypt pt 2

my official channel- follow me on twitter at supersmokio69

YOUTUBE.COM

Official Yourtube Channel

College here I come

September 2017, I started on a journey that many thought might never come, I started college.  I am going to St. Lawrence College taking courses in the General Arts and Science faculty.  I will concentrate on computer courses.  I am enrolled in the CICE program (Community Integration through Cooperative Education).

I am living on my own in residence.  At first I thought this would be scary as I never thought I would be living on my own, but I am.  I go to my classes, eat in the cafeteria and do my daily living without the help of others.  I do have learning specialists who attend classes with me, who scribe and help make sure I accomplish everything I need to, to be successful in college.  This has been a huge step in my life and I am very proud of my accomplishments to date.

I am off - the car was packed with my things and I made sure to take my computer with me so I could play my video games when I was not in class or doing homework.

My residence room.  I have a nice size room with lots of space for my computer and of course my extra food. The fridge and microwave are great for me to make food when the cafeteria is closed. Especially to make a snack before going to sleep.

I am now a college student and I know my way around the campus.

High School Graduation

High School Graduation
June 29, 2017

High school graduation was a real big day for me - I completed the 30 credits necessary to earn my Ontario High School Diploma - I also made the highest mark in my grade 12 World History course and was awarded the School Council award for being one of the most improved students.  The award came with a cheque for $300.  I worked very hard to achieve this milestone and proved that even though I was born without a cerebellum, it did not stop me from doing what all other students do - earn a high school diploma.

Swimming - May 2017

Swim Meet - May 2017
Walter Baker Pool - Nepean, Ontario

Taking part in the Special Olympics Swim meet at school has been something I've done since I was in grade 7.  In May 2017, I competed in my final race as a high school student and although it was much harder this year because I had not been taking regular swimming lessons I was very proud of my placing third in the 100m freestyle swim.  I swam for Sacred Heart High School.

Myers' Amazing Kid Award

Watch the video:

Luke Savoie - Myers' Amazing Kid Award

This was a very big surprise for me to receive this award.  I don't think of myself as special but I just do what I do because I don't really know any different.  Living with a disability can either get you down or it can make you stronger - for me - it has made me more determined to prove that I can do things that the doctors and others may have thought I was not capable of accomplishing.

Remembrance Day Monologue

November 11, 2016

I took drama in high school and in my final year, I was part of the Remembrance Day service that my drama class prepared.  I had a monologue where I was a soldier from WWI who now suffers from PTSD.  I was not nervous doing this because I practiced my part every day.

I was very proud of my performance because many thought I might never be able to memorize all the lines.

My Monologue:

Luke's monologue

(my mom recorded my monologue but ran out of memory before I completed the final sentence, but you can hear most of my speech.)

Scene 9:

Luke: My name is Dylan Romero, I was a canadian soldier during WW1. I now suffer from PTSD, and this is what I go through everyday.

No Wounds upon my body,

No scars that you can find,

Just hurt from wars fought long ago

implanted in my mind

No outward signs of injury,

No telltale signs of pain,

Only flashbacks and the nightmares

Time and Time again.

But all’s not lost for us old friend

(Other soldiers begin to join him)

There are those that understand

Just let them lead us through the darkness

Go with them hand in hand

All: Please don't forget us. In world war 1 there were over 38 million casualties.

Second Co-Op Plaement

School year 2016 - 2017

In grade 12, I continued to take part in the  CO-OP program at school.  By doing CO-OP I was able to earn credits towards my high school diploma.   I completed  a two-credit CO-OP in grade 11 and knew from my CO-OP experience I wanted to do more CO-OP placements.  I knew CO-OP would help me earn valuable experience that I could take to the work force when I graduated from high school..

I did not want to go back to the grocery store where I had my placement in Grade 11 but the options I had were very limited and I stressed to my teacher that I would like to work someplace where they sold video games and electronic equipment.  My  CO-OP teacher managed to get me an interview with Vhing at Best Buy in Kanata. I was really excited to go to this interview and was ready for any question that was asked.  I did the interview and was told I could start the next week.  I was so excited as this was going to be a dream CO-OP placement. - it WAS!  I now know that I want to work with electronics and video games in the future so this placement was the best place for me.

First Co-Op Placement

School year 2015-2016

In grade 11, I wanted to take the co-op program which I knew would help prepare me for the future.  I had an interview at our local grocery store and landed my co-op at Brown's.  In my job I stocked shelves and assisted customers.

When I completed my co-op placement at the grocery store, the manager gave me a beautiful gift basket filled with lots of goodies.

Grade 10 English Award

I always try to do my best and I was really surprised when I received the award for English in Grade 10.  The school had an award's ceremony where I was presented with my certificate,

Water Skiing - trying stand up skis

Summer -2015

During the summer of 2015, I became very confident on the sit ski and so I wanted to experience water skiing standing up on skis.  This was not as easy as I thought, but I gave it a good try and the volunteers with CADS were very patient with me.  My legs were strong enough to stand on the skis but with my balance I was not able to control the skis against the strength of the water.  But I gave it a good try and I am very proud of myself for trying.

See, I did it.  I was almost doing it on my own, but I have to admit this was one of the hardest things I tried, but I am proud to say I got up on the skis and managed to stay up for a bit.