The blue cedar shakes change colour in the daily light at Glen Brae Manor, one of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice’s two pediatric hospice locations where little patients in BC and Yukon receive expert care.
The historic Vancouver mansion was the first free-standing pediatric hospice in North America when it opened in 1995. While you might believe that Canuck Place is primarily a place of sorrow, the truth couldn’t be farther from it.
“We wanted to shift the mindset that this was the place to come to die—and to say that this is the place to come and live,” explains Dr Hal Siden, Canuck Place’s Medical Director. “We can’t change these kids’ diagnoses, but we can change everything around it. How can we make each day great for them?”
Canuck Place specializes in care for children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and their families, but the lessons that Canuck Place teaches have universal applicability, no matter what age you are.
- It’s not about the days in your life, but the life in your days
Most days, Canuck Place’s specially designed playground is filled with children’s laughter. The hospice’s recreation therapy team works hard to find new ways to manage the risks inherent with each child’s condition so that they are able to live life to the fullest–whether that means time on the playground, a trip to a popular local hiking trail that isn’t typically wheelchair accessible, a ski day, or any other adventure. They’ve even found ways to let a child who uses a wheelchair to experience ziplining!
“There’s a tendency to put kids with life-threatening illnesses on a shelf,” says Recreation Therapy Coordinator Laura Fielding, “but I love showing families there are no limits.”
What limits are you putting on yourself that are preventing you from living life to the fullest?
- Grief is a journey filled with twists and turns, ups and downs.
The Canuck Place counselling team is intimately familiar with grief. Canuck Place counsellors connect with more than 800 families—children, parents, siblings, and grandparents—as they process their child’s diagnosis, illness, and end-of-life journey. As Canuck Place counsellor Deborah Davison knows, it’s about respecting where each individual person is at.
“There’s no time limit on grief, and there’s no one single way that people process grief. Everyone is on their own journey,” says Davison.
Click here to read the story of Canuck Place grandparent Joan Kennedy, whose infant granddaughter Rosalind was diagnosed with a terminal condition in 2018. The entire family, including Joan and her husband, received support from the Canuck Place team as they processed the diagnosis and navigated their grief.
- Strength can be found in the connections you build with your community
Like many homes, the kitchen is the heart of Canuck Place. Warm, kind volunteers work together with Dawn Clarke, Manager Food Services and Housekeeping, to serve delicious, healthy meals and make sure the cookie jar is always full! Canuck Place families, staff, and volunteers all eat together, building a strong community and support network for those families that are walking an unimaginable journey of complex care with their child. These connections are like a warm hug, giving strength when Canuck Place children and parents need it the most.
How can you strengthen your connections with your local community?
- One of the best ways to express your emotions is through creative outlets
Children love Canuck Place’s music and art therapy programs—but it’s not just kids that benefit from having a creative outlet!
“Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to express how you feel. Through music you can express your anger, sadness, or the joy of living,” explains Karin Roberts, Music Therapist at Canuck Place. “I think everyone can benefit from having a creative outlet that allows them to express their emotions.”
Want inspiration? Click here to watch a Canuck Place music therapy session.
- You can find joy in giving back
Canuck Place volunteers and donors are the backbone of the organization. Generous, kind, and thoughtful, they embody the spirit of compassion and care that defines Canuck Place.
Valerie Cooper was a long-time Canuck Place volunteer who tended the beautiful garden at Canuck Place’s Vancouver hospice. She was so passionate about the garden and the tranquility that it provided for children and families that she named Canuck Place in her will, ensuring that in the epilogue of her life her generous legacy would carry on.
“When a child comes to us, the end of the story is already known, but the journey to get there has yet to be written. Donor support is crucial for us to make the rest of that story the very best it can be,” explains Canuck Place Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tarnia Taverner.
You can read more about Canuck Place and sign up to volunteer or make a donation at www.canuckplace.org.
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