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Canuck Place walks alongside families
What we quickly came to experience is that the support of Canuck Place allowed us to be present during our experience and care for ourselves and our daughter as her parents, rather than feeling the enormity of her care or decision making alone.
Marie and Wes Toews received the heartbreaking news that their daughter Sophia had been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, during Marie’s pregnancy.
The diagnosis plunged the Toews into uncertainty. However, their introduction to Canuck Place nurse practitioner, Camara van Breemen, provided much-needed relief. Camara’s calming presence and expertise helped guide the family, absorbing some of their shock, and aided them in creating a care plan that reflected Sophia’s diagnosis and the family’s values.
Marie and Wes focused on living life to the fullest with the time they had left with Sophia.
“When we first got Sophia’s diagnosis, the weight of responsibility to navigate that on our own, was a lot,” Wes explains. “What we quickly came to experience is that the support of Canuck Place allowed us to be present during our experience and care for ourselves and our daughter as her parents, rather than feeling the enormity of her care or decision making alone.”
Canuck Place counsellors provided grief and bereavement support, helping the Toews navigate their hopes, fears, and worries. Canuck Place recreation therapists supported the Toews family to create meaningful moments and memories by making foot molds and a pendant with Sophia’s footprint. These precious mementos are tangible items the Toews family can hold onto for a lifetime.
Canuck Place remains a lifeline for families like the Toews, navigating medical complexities, offering comprehensive care and support from diagnosis and beyond. By providing compassionate care tailored to each family’s unique needs, Canuck Place ensures no family walks this challenging journey alone.
Jill Yoneda’s Swim for Courage
This August, Jill Yoneda, a remarkable competitive swimmer from Victoria, will undertake an incredible 109 km swim across the Georgia Strait, raising funds to support Canuck Place care. In 2018, Jill completed the first ever swim across the Georgia Strait in 25 hours and swam a total distance of 80 km, raising $15,000!
Jill has loved the water since she was a child and began training at swim clubs at a young age. She started scuba diving in 2002 but had to stop two years later when doctors found a hole in her heart following an underwater accident. Having faced significant health challenges herself, Jill has been inspired by the courage of Canuck Place children facing life-threatening illnesses and the families who love them.
You can support Jill and Canuck Place by donating to her inspiring fundraiser.
Karim’s Cookie Fund
Farah and Eric’s son, Karim, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. After multiple treatment attempts failed, Karim was referred to Canuck Place. Karim spent his last two months at Canuck Place, which quickly became a second home for the whole family, where they received exceptional care and created cherished memories. The staff, including nurses, medical professionals, chefs, and volunteers, formed special relationships with Karim and his family, making their stay filled with happy moments like baking cookies, making pizza, and helping at the reception desk. Canuck Place also supported the family with grief and bereavement counselling after Karim’s passing, for which they remain deeply grateful.
Farah and Eric established an endowment fund in honour of Karim, called “Karim’s Cookie Fund” and have been supporting Canuck Place kitchen upgrades through their fundraiser, for over a decade. Their ongoing fundraising and community involvement continues to make a significant impact on the families in Canuck Place care.
Win big and make a difference!
The Spring Canuck Place 50/50 raised an incredible jackpot of $417,045! Half the jackpot supports exceptional care at Canuck Place and the other half went to our lucky winner, Elaine S. from Penticton!
To date, the total of six Canuck Place 50/50 jackpots is $4,305,635 thanks to dedicated ticket purchasers across BC. Stay tuned for the next draw this fall!
Monthly giving changes lives
Robert “Bob” McCallum has been a dedicated Canuck Place monthly donor since 2010. Despite moving to Portugal permanently in September of 2022, he has continued his unwavering support. Bob’s commitment to hospice care began with his 13 years of volunteer work at Vernon, BC’s North Okanagan Hospice. His firsthand experience there made him passionate about the positive impact hospice care has on both residents and their families. Inspired by Canuck Place’s specialized care for children, Bob did not hesitate to start his monthly donations in 2010. His continued contributions have made a significant impact, helping to provide predictable revenue for Canuck Place which is foundational to meet the growing need for pediatric palliative care. Bob’s story exemplifies how personal experiences and dedication to a cause can transcend geographical boundaries, making a lasting difference in the lives of those in need.
Celebrating Canuck Place Registered Nurse Doreen
In May, Canuck Place celebrated the retirement of Registered Nurse Doreen Landry who spent 29 years caring for children and families on our program. Doreen was celebrated by current and former colleagues and heard a beautiful tribute from Canuck Place families. Doreen was part of the staff that opened Canuck Place in 1995 and she was instrumental in leading the opening of Canuck Place Abbotsford – Dave Lede House. Doreen was known to families as a compassionate and caring nurse who held many children and families during difficult times. We are so grateful for Doreen’s incredible legacy. We thank her from our big and little hearts and wish her all the best in a well-deserved retirement.
Golfing for Canuck Place!
WICK-ED (Water-Waste Industry Cares for Kids – Every Day) Golf Tournament has supported Canuck Place since 2003, contributing over $200,000 to care for children and families!
The inspiration behind WICK-ED Golf Tournament’s dedication stems from a personal experience of one of the organizers, who witnessed firsthand the challenges that parents face when their child requires medical care. This experience fueled a desire to support children and families coping with a serious illness, driving the mission of the WICK-ED Golf Tournament to make a positive impact.
Looking ahead, WICK-ED plans to further elevate their tournament, increasing annual contributions to support Canuck Place’s mission of providing exceptional care to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
Family-centred care
With your support, Canuck Place formed a project group called the Family Engagement Coalition (FEC), comprised of staff and family partners. This amazing team co-developed an evidence-based framework and tools to ensure meaningful engagement with children, youth, and families at Canuck Place. The framework is important as it provides the structure for consistent, safe, and respectful engagement with children and families. Canuck Place is focused on representing the diverse perspectives of patient-partner families and to informing improvement of care and services at Canuck Place. We are grateful to donors supporting the future of collaborative care!
Knowledge and Innovation – Canuck Place Research Initiative
The Canuck Place Research Initiative (CPRI) is part of a national interdisciplinary network of clinicians and researchers dedicated to improving the quality of care for children, youth, and their families.
The CPRI regularly hosts distinguished visiting scholars from across the globe, bringing valuable expertise to our program through lectures, collaborative discussion, and providing mentorship. Recently, Canuck Place was fortunate to host Dr. Julie Hauer, renowned for her work in pediatric neurology, and Dr. Helena Dunbar, Director of Service Development and Improvement at Together for Short Lives in the UK. We’re grateful to both Dr. Hauer and Dr. Dunbar for sharing new perspectives, insights, and methodologies with our clinical team.
This past year, the CPRI published 17 research findings, and engaged in 20 research projects, improving the quality of care for children locally, nationally, and internationally.