As fall turns to winter and the holidays approach, it’s important to stop and take a moment to be grateful for all that you have. It’s also a chance to extend that goodwill to others and make a real difference in their lives.
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is doing just that, but they can’t do it without your help.
Caring for kids
Canuck Place siblings Liam, Jordin, and Caleb Rempel tie-dying with Canuck Place Recreation Therapist, Gillian Lagambina. (Canuck Place)
As the only pediatric palliative care provider in BC and the Yukon, Canuck Place cares for over 920 children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. To help them make the most of the time they have, a team of compassionate clinical experts provides these families with complex medical care, counselling, and other family services to ensure that short lives are given the gift of great days.
On average, a child is part of the Canuck Place program for six years, with their parents and siblings remaining in the bereavement program for an additional three years. Depending on their needs and wishes, families might receive care in-hospital, in-home, or virtually, along with time spent in Canuck Place’s two hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford.
The services offered for these children include pain and symptom management, counselling and bereavement services, and end-of-life care. But, there’s also music and recreation therapy, education and art, and opportunities for families to make lasting memories together.
Canuck Place can’t reverse the course of kids’ illness, but their care can make a huge difference in their quality of life and the time families have together.
How family services work
Canuck Place family, Liam, Matt, and Jenn Rempel sit with Canuck Place Clinical Practice Lead, Bereavement, Mary Coleman. (Canuck Place)
Canuck Place takes a family-centred approach to pediatric palliative care to help keep families whole during difficult and uncertain times.
To ensure they’re offering the right support at the right time, Canuck Place clinicians work with families to create a tailored care plan that accounts for a family’s wishes, goals, and values as the illness progresses. That can include grief, loss, and bereavement counselling, family meetings, medical respite, and end-of-life care options.
Every family’s situation and needs are unique, and every child deserves to feel safe, loved, and cared for during their serious illness. Together with a community of generous donors, Canuck Place ensures no family walks their journey alone and receives services at no cost.
Tristan’s story
Jordin, Caleb, Jenn, Matt, Liam, and Tristan (in-frame) Rempel. (Canuck Place)
The Rempels are one of many families who have accessed essential Canuck Place care.
Tristan Rempel was diagnosed with ependymoma brain cancer at 14 months, which became incurable by the time he was three. Tristan and his family — Mom Jenn, Dad Matt, and three siblings — met with the Canuck Place team to determine the best course of action.
Initially, Tristan’s care needs were minimal, so the family was able to go to Canuck Place for medical respite care. “Being able to stay at Canuck Place gave Matt and I some much-needed alone time to reflect on what was going on and how to best help our kids during Tristan’s diagnosis,” says Jenn.
Meanwhile, the kids were able to go out and enjoy activities that provided fun and lasting memories, like trips to Granville Island, going to Canucks games, and doing tie-dye crafts.
As Tristan’s illness progressed, the Rempels went to the Canuck Place Vancouver Hospice for end-of-life care, where he passed away on his fifth birthday. His legacy of hope will never be forgotten by those who loved him.
“He took everything in stride,” says Matt. “It didn’t matter where he went or what he was going through, he just enjoyed being around people, and everywhere he went, people enjoyed having him there.”
From their introduction to Canuck Place, each family member worked with a counsellor to help process his diagnosis. Their counselling support has continued as they navigate the grief of losing Tristan, and the positive memories they created as a family have helped the Rempels find peace.
“We took every opportunity that we could to spend time together as a family,” says Jenn. “We poured a lifetime of memories into two years and made the most of every minute we had with him.”
How you can help your community
Canuck Place is able to provide no-cost services thanks to the generosity of donors who contribute to their Light a Life campaign — people just like you.
Whether you donate once or on a monthly basis, your gift is more than just a dollar amount — it’s a human connection. Together, donors and the Canuck Place community create a collective glow that provides light and warmth for kids and families during the holiday season.
To learn more about Canuck Place and the Light a Life campaign, or to make a donation, visit them online. Until December 31st, any support will also be matched dollar-for-dollar by Canuck Place’s partners, helping you make an even greater impact.
Whatever support you can give will help sick children and families like the Rempels make the most out of the time they have.