The Persevering Entrepreneur

EVA ZATRAK - THE PERSEVERING ENTREPRENEUR

Eva was born and raised in Slovakia where she graduated from nursing school and worked for six years as a registered nurse. After a few years, Eva traveled to Libya to work on a 3 year contract. This was one of the greatest experiences of her life. She was amazed one day when a patient came to the ER with a minor cut to his finger, accompanied by 15 others, who came to look at a white nurse!

In 1986, she met her husband who arrived in Libya from Slovakia as a gynecologist.  Eva endured some difficult times as Communism was collapsing and the Austrian officials demanding proof of living or face deportation back home. Her final emigration was bitter sweet, her mother died in April 1990 from breast cancer and though only a few hundred kilometers away, she could not return home to be with her in her final days (she was 54 years old). Eva left for Canada alone in August of the same year, as her fiance was not accepted for sponsorship.

Eva arrived in Canada and was picked up from the airport by government sponsorship officials. She did not speak a word of English nor did she understand a word spoken to her. Within a year of her arrival to Canada, she withdrew from the sponsorship program, paid back her government sponsorship, moved to a bigger apartment and celebrated her fiance joining her in Canada. They were married later that year and moved to Toronto.

In 1995, Eva went back to school and earned her RN license in Canada. Eva and business partner Marion, launched Thornbrook Home Care, a private home care company for the elderly. In 2009, Eva launched BoomertoBoomer Online, providing family caregivers support and advice. In 2011, Eva opened a second company, Thistlecreek Health Care, she currently manages the administration in both companies.

Thistlecreek