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Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

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Page 1: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

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CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

1690 Matthews Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 2T2

t: 604.731.4847 or toll free at 1.877.882.2288

CA

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1690 Matthew

s Avenue

Vancouver, B

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS ALUMNI: SUPPORTERS OF BC KIDS AND FAMILIES

SPRING 2013CANUCKS ALUMNI CLIFF RONNING AND DAVE BABYCH JOIN CANUCK PLACE TEEN KARSTEN

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OE 1_03 4/30/07 11:12 AM Page 1

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Fold on the dotted line and moisten to seal on reverse side

PR

IVA

CY

PO

LICY

Canuck P

lace Children’s H

ospice does not sell, trade or otherw

ise share its mailing lists. W

e may in future use your

address and/or email address to keep you inform

ed of activi-ties including program

, services, special events and funding needs. H

owever, if at any tim

e you wish to be rem

oved from

our lists, please contact us at [email protected] or

604 646 1344.

Please allow

15 business days for us to update our records.

Page 2: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

www.canuckplace.org

CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

1690 Matthews Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 2T2

t: 604.731.4847 or toll free at 1.877.882.2288

Table of ContentsJOHN ROSE, Hospice ChairNuheat Industries Limited

MICHELLE CYBULIAKFamily Representative, Abbotsford

R. THOMAS BURLEYOakcrest Park Estates Ltd.

NEIL DUKEQuikrete Canada, Target Products Ltd.

LAURA EDWARDSYork House School

KATE FURBERPricewaterhouse Coopers LLP

BARBARA GRANTHAMBarbara Granthan Consulting Services Inc.

GORD HUSTONEnvision Financial (Retired)

HELEN LOWFasken Martineau DuMoulin

PATTI SCHOM-MOFFATTEdelman

KATHERINE WHITTREDProvince of BC (Retired)

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is a Registered Canadian Charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) www.cra.gc.ca and operates as a Society and a Foundation.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Society:13386 7523 RR0001

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE SOCIETY

COURAGE SPOTLIGHT WITH NURSE STEPHANIE GILLES 2

CANUCK PLACE AWARDED EXEMPLARY STANDING 2

FANG FAMILY FINDS MAGIC MOMENTS AT CANUCK PLACE 3

THE CAMPER’S VIEW: CANUCK PLACE TEEN RICHARD 3

CANUCK PLACE EVENTS 4 – 5

‘NANI’ GIVES BACK FOR HER GRANDSON 6

COVER STORY THE GAME CHANGERS: VANCOUVER CANUCKS ALUMNI 7

CANUCK PLACE ABBOTSFORD AND TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER 7

FARIS GETS THE WISH OF A LIFETIME 8

UPCOMING EVENTS 8

— MARGARET MCNEIL, Canuck Place CEO

“The lives of our children and families are touched everyday

by the dedicated investment you make in our programs.”

Page 3: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

STEPHANIE GILLES (bottom row, right) takes a moment to pose with her nursing team on the 2nd floor at Canuck Place.

John and Dorothy Fang came to Canuck

Place in 2006, with their son Cody. Cody

had been experiencing seizures and infantile

spasms not long after he was born.

At just three months old, doctors gave John

and Dorothy terrible news: their little boy

only had 10 days to a month to live.

At first, they tried to continue looking after

Cody at home, but it quickly became clear

that they couldn’t cope with the level of care

that he now needed. That’s when they came

to Canuck Place, where the clinical staff

taught John and Dorothy how to administer

his medications and adjust the tubes that

were helping Cody stay alive and live com-

fortably at home.

Cody’s time with his mom, dad, and broth-

ers, Jeremy and Brady, grew from days to

months to three years. “We were allowed to

live as a family at Canuck Place, even with a

sick child,” said John. “We were able to have

all those little moments that wouldn’t have

otherwise been possible — like having a

Santa Claus at Christmas time who knew how

to hold a sick child, or bringing Cody to the

kitchen to eat when he didn’t eat all that much.

Those moments still mean so much to us.”

Cody passed away at Canuck Place in 2006,

but John still stops by the house sometimes

to sit in the garden and think about his son,

and the time he shared with his family there.

“There is a certain kind of magic and spirit

at Canuck Place,” he reflected. “Families and

children are happy here. It is a place of joy,

even through difficult times.”

My favorite thing to do in the summer is go

to the Canuck Place Camp. I look forward

to Camp every year because it is the only

time I get to see my friends. My friends live

very far away so I don’t get to see them

very much. Last year was awesome. We got

to shoot targets with paint ball guns. I had

never used a paint ball gun before, so as

soon as they gave me the gun I went crazy

and demolished my target. We also played

Fear Factor. One of my friends had to try to

eat Tabasco covered marshmallows, but he

couldn’t handle the spice. On the last night,

we had a medieval dinner. There was a

sword fight going on while we were eating.

There were sparks flying everywhere and

afterwards there was a party with a DJ, a

caricature artist, and even jousting. Some of

the Camp counsellors were jousting, too. The

time I spend at camp is the most fun I get to

have with my friends all year, but it always

ends too soon. I’d like to be able to just have

a few more days where I can have fun and

be with my friends, and I think that all the

other kids at camp would like that, too. But

being at camp isn’t just about having fun.

Through the years that I have gone to

Canuck Place camp, it has helped me with

my self-confidence and given me other life

skills that I wouldn’t have had a chance to

learn anywhere else. This summer will be

the last year that I get to go to Camp, and I

want to make this year the most memorable

year for me, and for all my friends.

The Camper’s View: Canuck Place Teen Richard

From left: Brady, Dorothy, Cody, John and Jeremy.Richard clowning around at Canuck Place Teen Camp

Fang Family Finds Magic Moments at Canuck Place

“EVERY DAY AT CANUCK PLACE, FAMILIES SHOW

INCREDIBLE COURAGE AS THEY

JOURNEY THROUGH UNIMAGINABLE

CIRCUMSTANCES.”

canuck place children’s hospice · newsletter spring 2013

3

Courage Spotlight with Nurse Stephanie Gilles

COURAGEBUILDERS

Canuck Place was recently

accredited with Exemplary

Standing by Accreditation

Canada, the highest level

of accreditation granted to

healthcare organizations,

following a rigorous assess-

ment of its services against

nationally accepted standards

comprising of almost 400

applicable criteria.

“The team at Canuck Place

Children’s Hospice is com-

mitted 365 days a year to

delivering world-class care to

children and families across

BC,” said Margaret McNeil,

Canuck Place CEO. “We are

grateful to the community

of donors and partners who

support our commitment

to critical, safe and high-

quality care for children with

life-threatening illnesses and

their families. “

“This accomplishment is

cause for celebration,” said

Wendy Nicklin, President and

CEO of Accreditation Canada.

“The warmth and profes-

sionalism of the whole team

as well as their flexibility and

commitment to quality and

safety led to a decision of

which they should be proud.”

Thank-you to all our donors,

supporters, partners and

friends, whose dedication

to the children and families of

BC helped make this incred-

ible accomplishment possible.

How long have you been in nursing and healthcare? What brought you to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, and how long have you been here?

As a nursing student I had my community

placement at Canuck Place. I knew at that

point I wanted to work for Canuck Place; a

year later I started working as an LPN and

continued to work at Canuck Place once I

became a registered nurse. I have worked

here now for over 8 years.

What is so special about working in the area of pediatric palliative care?

I think that working in the area of pediatric

palliative care is special because we have

the honour of working with these children

and families that are going through one of

the most terrible times of their lives and

we are trying to make it as painless and as

dignified as possible.

What would you say to someone who has never heard about Canuck Place programs and services? How would you describe Canuck Place? What makes it unique?

I tell them I work at a pediatric hospice and

that we provide outreach, respite, pain and

symptom management and end-of-life care

to children and their families from the ages of

newborn to 19 years of age with a progres-

sive life-threatening illness. I would say that

we are unique, as we might know a family for

just a few hours to years and even beyond

the life of their child.

What inspires you to come to work every day?

The amazing families and staff I get to see

and work with every day.

What would you like to share with Canuck Place Donors?

I would like to thank the donor community

for supporting children with life-threatening

illnesses. I have the privilege to care for these

amazing babies, children and teens. It has

been one of the most rewarding experiences

of my life. These children have an amazing

outlook on life and teach us each and every

day to enjoy each moment and live life to

the fullest.

FROM OUR FAMILIES

CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S

HOSPICE AWARDED THE

HIGHEST LEVEL OF HEALTHCARE

ASSESSMENT WITH

ACCREDITATION CANADA

Page 4: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

canuck place children’s hospice · newsletter spring 2013

canuck place children’s hospice · newsletter spring 2013

5555

OUR EVENTS

Over 220 racers laced up and geared up for

the 7th annual Innovative Fitness Canuck Place

Adventure Challenge on September 15 and 16 at

Deep Cove in North Vancouver and Cultus Lake

in Chilliwack in support of Canuck’s for Kids Fund

for Canuck Place kids and families. The sunny

weekend brought out enthusiastic participants,

Vancouver Canucks mascot Fin and generous

sponsor and volunteer support. Chris Gailus from

Global TV shared race highlights and Innovative

Fitness clients and families together raised an

incredible $235,000 for Canuck Place!

Look for news on the 2013 Adventure Challenge

for Kids presented by Innovative Fitness on

canuckplace.org.

Sixteen-year-old Canuck Place teen Alisa had a

special role when she pressed the big button with

the Vancouver Canucks mascot Fin and was the

spark for the annual Canuck Place Lighting of the

House. Her father was so proud of Alisa’s role, he

brought a firetruck with his firehall crew to wit-

ness the moment. Thanks to generous donors the

event raised over $180,000 supporting programs

like 24-hour nursing support, clinical care, grief

and bereavement groups, recreation, art and

music therapy. Special thanks to Starbucks,

Kryton International Inc., Rix Family Foundation

and WPS Disaster Management Systems for

supporting the event.

An awesome group of participants, families and

friends raised over $30,000 in the 3rd annual

Canuck Place Hospice Hustle supporting Canuck

Place kids and families.

Canuck Place CEO Margaret McNeil was

joined by Mayor of Abbotsford, Bruce Banman,

Vancouver Canucks’ Fin and Canuck Place therapy

dog, Poppy, for a fantastic warmup from friends at

Innovative Fitness.

Look for news on canuckplace.org on the Hustle

for Canuck Place June 8 in Vancouver and June 9

in Abbotsford.

The 8th annual Canuck Place Gift of Time Gala

presented by TELUS was held at the Westin

Bayshore Vancouver with over $700,000 raised

to support critical palliative care for children and

families facing life-threatening illnesses from

across British Columbia. Gala committee co-

chairs Karen Bowering and Claire Newell were

incredible leaders. The evening was hosted by co-

MC’s Chris Gailus and Tara McGuire, and featured

up-and-coming singers Cody Karey and Friends,

the St. James Music Academy Choir, Canuck Place

family speakers Nelia and Andrew Evans, and

spectacular auctioneer Howard Blank, with guest

appearances by Canucks Alumni President Gerry

Sillers and TV personalities John Shorthouse and

Dan Murphy. The memorable evening saw over 600

guests demonstrate their generosity by investing

in bed lifts for Canuck Place Abbotsford and

bidding on the 350 silent auction items secured

by the Gift of Time Committee, then dancing the

night away with the closing band Dr. Strangelove.

They Came, They Paddled, They Biked, They Hiked!

Hustle for Canuck Place A Spark in Canuck Place Family Lives

Gift of Time Galapresented by TELUS

Canuck Place Teen Alisa centre with blanket is surrounded by back row, left to right: Fin, Canuck Place CEO Margaret McNeil, Minister Colin Hansen, Canuck Place dad Trevor, Canuck Place Board Chair John Rose. Front row: Canuck Place teen Alisa and her mom Teresa.

Page 5: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

APRIL 2013

APRIL 4 · Canucks for Kids Fund

Telethon

MAY 2013

· MAY 5 BMO Marathon RUN4HOPE

· MAY 24 12th Annual HomeLife Charity Golf Classic

· MAY 28 PWC and Richmond Automall 28th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

JUNE 2013

· June 1

Hustle for Canuck Place 5 km Run Walk — Abbotsford

· June 8

Hustle for Canuck Place 5 km Run Walk — Vancouver

JULY 2013

· July 10 Annual Ride for Hope

AUGUST 2013

· AUGUST 22 YVR for Kids Golf Tournament, Quilchena Golf & Country Club

SEPTEMBER 2013

· Annual Adventure Challenge for Kids presented by Innovative Fitness

OCTOBER 2013

· OCTOBER 19 Annual Gift of Time Gala presented by TELUS

The Canuck Place kitchen serves up to

nutritious meals a day to the children and families at Canuck Place, 7 days per week, at no cost to the families.

Canuck Place has 2 specially equipped accessible vans to transport children in wheelchairs on recreational outings throughout the community.

The butterfly is used as a symbol in hospices around the world, representing transition.

Canuck Place has Canada’s first fully accessible outdoor playground – a popular feature is the wheelchair accessible spinning round-about.

Canuck Place is the only free-standing children’s hospice

in British Columbia.

Families come from all over BC to access the programs offered at Canuck Place.

Canuck Place has over

trained volunteers

Music therapy is available to all Canuck Place children, siblings and families.

Canuck Place has one classroom with a

full-time teacher, special education assistant

and volunteers.

The Art Room at Canuck Place is full of life, colour,

arts and crafts supplies, and

beautiful artwork by kids on the

program.

The four-legged member of our care team, Poppy, is a 5 year-old

Golden Retriever; she’s trained by

Pacific Assistance Dogs Society

(PADS).

Canuck Place hosts camps for over 45

kids/teens and siblings across BC in

the fall, spring and summer.

In the Volcano Room Canuck Place kids and family members can safely release stress and pent-up emotions.

delicious cookies are baked each week in the Canuck Place kitchen to keep the cookie jar full for children and families.

THEFACTS

Canuck Place child Faris represented

the organization in an on ice cheque

presentation at the Bieksa’s Buddies Charity

Hockey game. To everyone’s surprise — BC

native and international superstar Michael

Bublé joined the festivities and donated

$100,000 to the $100,000 that had already

been raised. Faris, a talented performer

himself, was so excited to be standing so

close to one of his singing heroes — he was

speechless. After the event, Faris asked if

his YouTube singing videos could be sent

to the Burnaby-born crooner. Bublé was so

moved by Faris big heart he sent a signed

copy of his CD just for Faris. Thanks to

Kevin Bieksa and his band of musicians (The

Tenors), players (UBC Men’s hockey Team,

NHL and Canuck players) and Michael Bublé

for supporting children and families in BC.

Faris Gets the Wish of a Lifetime

Canuck Place child Faris represents the organization in an on-ice cheque presentation at the Bieksa Buddies game. Faris meets two

of his personal heroes; Kevin Bieksa and Michael Bublé.

Big-hearted, Burnaby-born singing sensation Michael Bublé watches Faris YouTube singing

video and sends him a signed CD of his hits.

After the game, Faris sends his YouTube singing videos ‘One Thing — Faris

‘aka’ Freeze’ to his favourite crooner, Michael Bublé.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please log on to canuckplace.org

for more information

canuck place children’s hospice · newsletter spring 2013

7

Page 6: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

The work that we do at Canuck Place to help

children and families in their time of great-

est need would not be possible without the

support of our volunteers. For many of them,

giving their time is a labour of love. This is

especially true for Gulzaar Valimohamed,

or as she is affectionately known at Canuck

Place, Nani.

Nani’s grandson, Karim, was diagnosed with

neuroblastoma, a cancer that typically af-

fects children younger than five. He passed

away at Canuck Place in the spring of 2011.

“Karim was a very special boy,” said Nani.

“He was two years old when he was diag-

nosed with cancer. For one-and-a-half years

he went through the treatment. He was very

brave. He was adorable; a lovely boy. He

was very intelligent. He quickly figured out how

certain medical devices operated; if you missed

a step, Karim would surely correct you!”

“He was Nani’s boy.”

At Canuck Place, Karim spent much of his

time in the kitchen, where he loved making

pizzas, baking cookies, and of course eating

his favourite snack — ginger cookies. In

honour of Karim, Nani is giving back to

Canuck Place by volunteering in the kitchen.

“Karim loved being in the kitchen,” said Nani.

“I also enjoy cooking, so I wanted to give

some of my time and knowledge back to

Canuck Place for what they did for Karim.”

“The food we prepare here gives comfort to

the families and it is so nice to watch fami-

lies sitting around the table and enjoying the

food. Every time I leave Canuck Place I feel

fulfilled that I did something Karim would

have liked.”

One of Nani’s favourite things to make is

mango ice cream. Karim loved mango ice

cream and often insisted that Nani make it

for everyone at Canuck Place. With Karim’s

memory in her heart, she makes mango ice

cream for the Canuck Place family barbeque

every summer.

“Canuck Place is a remarkable health care

facility and so much more,” she said.

“One day, a volunteer and I took Karim for

a walk in his stroller in the neighbourhood

around Canuck Place. After about ten min-

utes, the volunteer asked Karim if he was

okay. Karim said, ‘I want to go home.’ By

‘home,’ he meant Canuck Place.”

Canuck Place is truly a warm, welcoming and

supportive place for the whole family in times

of difficulty. The home-like environment and

the caring, compassionate and accommodat-

ing staff at every level make Canuck Place

truly amazing, magical; from heaven.

“We were fortunate to be here, with Karim. This

place will be a special place for us – always very

important and very close to my heart.”

Karim’s parents, Eric and Farah Webber,

established an endowment fund in honour

of their son’s memory, the Karim Cookie

Fund, which so far has raised over $30,000

through Precious Pages at

www.canuckplace.org.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 C. Butter, softened

2 C. Light brown sugar, packed

2 Eggs

2 t. Vanilla extract

1 3/4 C. All-purpose flour

1 t. Baking soda

1 t. Cinnamon, ground

1/2 t. Salt

3 C. Oats, quick-cooking

1 3/4 C. Almond toffee bits or English toffee bits

1 C. Coconut flakes, sweetened (optional)

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly

grease cookie sheet. Beat

butter, brown sugar, eggs and

vanilla until well blended. Add

flour, baking soda, cinnamon

and salt; beat until blended.

2. Stir in oats, toffee and coconut,

if desired, with spoon. Drop

dough by rounded teaspoons

about 2 inches apart onto pre-

pared sheet.

3. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until

edges are lightly browned. Cool

1 minute; remove to wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

‘Nani’ Gives Back for Her Grandson

Page 7: Canuck Place Spring 2013 Newsletter

CREDIT CARD NUMBER

EXPIRY DATE

SIGNATURE

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A GIFT OF:

I AUTHORIZE CANUCK PLACE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE TO RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING MONTHLY DONATION

$15 $25 $50 OTHER $

Please make cheques payable to:Canuck Place Children’s Hospice

Please deduct this amount from my account specified on my cheque (attach one, marked VOID) on the 15th of each month, beginning:

OR

Please deduct this amount from my

Charitable Registration 13386 7523 RR0001 NEWSSPR13

DONATE ONLINE AT www.canuckplace.org

CONNECT WITH US! www.canuckplace.org

YES, I WANT TO HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AT CANUCK PLACE EMBRACE LIFE AND CREATE LASTING MEMORIES.

HUGS FOR KIDS — EMBRACE CANUCK PLACE YEAR-ROUND!

Canuck Place relies on the generosity of individuals, corporations and organizations to fund about 80 per cent of its operating costs. We would like to thank the following organizations that made generous donations in the November 2012 to January 2013 timeframe:

ADERA FOUNDATION SOCIETY

BC BAKERS FOUNDATION

CANUCKS FOR KIDS FUND

CIBC MIRACLE DAY

HSBC BANK CANADA

NOAH YELIZAROV HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

NEW CAR DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF BC

PAN PACIFIC WHISTLER VILLAGE

PWC/RICHMOND AUTO MALL GOLF TOURNAMENT

RAYMOND JAMES CANADA FOUNDATION

RBC DOMINION SECURITIES, ABBOTSFORD

QUAIL ROCK FOUNDATION

TELUS

YVR FOR KIDS

TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER

on the 15th of each month, beginning:

Front Row Left to Right: Canucks Alumni President Gerry Sillers, Canuck Place Board Chair John Rose, Cliff Ronning, CPCH CE0 Margaret McNeil, Bob MurrayBack Row Left to Right: Orland Kurtenbach, Dave Babych, Chris Oddleifson and Rick Amman

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Keep your eye on the latest construction photos of

our second hospice in the Fraser Valley that will better

meet the growing need for children and families

across BC. Special thanks to Ledcor, the Dave Lede

Family Foundation, City of Abbotsford, BC Government

and Fraser Valley Health. Go to canuckplace.org for

more photos.

Canuck Place Abbotsford — Programs and Services to Meet the Growing Need

The Vancouver Canucks Alumni stopped by for a special visit early

this year. Canucks Alumni President Gerry Sillers was joined by

former players to visit Canuck Place children and families and to

present Canuck Place with a cheque for $75,000 benefitting the

new Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Abbotsford facility.

“We enjoy being a part of the Canuck Place family,” said Sillers.

“It is an honour to support an organization that provides critical

care to the children and families of this province, and we hope to

continue our partnership with Canuck Place for years to come.”

Canuck Place teen Karsten from Vanderhoof was in the house for

care and was very excited to meet the alumni and have his picture

taken with the group. His parents, brother and sister, were also in

the background celebrating Karsten’s opportunity.

“His family told us that this was truly a big day in their lives,” said

Canuck Place CEO Margaret McNeil. “So we are grateful to the

alumni for the incredible donation but also the time they shared at

the hospice. It has a lasting impact on our families.”

The Canucks Alumni Foundation has raised over two million dollars

in support of local charities. The Alumni have been active supporters,

partners and friends of Canuck Place since the doors opened in 1995,

and they continue to support the future of Canuck Place.

The Game Changers