Today was the big day! After almost two days of rain I woke up to a cool, crisp fall morning. The alarm went off at 6:00 am, and I jumped out of bed and got ready for the walk. Not like Stephen King’s walk, but a walk with some amazing women. They joined me in the 6th annual race to support The West Island Palliative Care Centre, a local care centre and non-profit organization in our community. It’s now called the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Centre after a recent name change, and aptly so. She was the inspiration and backbone of the centre.
It’s celebrating 20 years in our community and has seen more than 5,000 souls pass through the home, including my own father’s in 2007. He had lung cancer and was living at home, becoming increasingly ill. He came from a time where you don’t ask anything of anyone, including your own children, and managed for a long time on his own. However, it was getting more and more obvious that he couldn’t do it for much longer. My older sister, who worked in the community and knew a lot of people, managed to get him into the centre. He was so relieved. I remember he woke up one morning while there, and a nurse was standing over him. He looked up at her and said, “Oh, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.” He was happy there, in a place where he had his own room with a patio and a big bathroom. He had refused to go to the hospital, so this was so much better for him. Family and friends came to visit. After 3 days, my Dad passed away. He was at peace; no more suffering. He died a graceful death without beeps and wires and people screaming or running around in the hallways. It was a place of quiet and calm and it made the process easier for us too.
And so, many years later, my friends and I joined countless others and walked to raise money for this amazing place. Our team is called On The Wings of Angels. By 8:15 am we were warming up with others who were running, walking or riding bikes. There were children as young as 3 or 4 who walked and young men and women who were no doubt running for their loved ones, grandmas, grandpas, aunts or uncles. So many people have been touched by cancer and so many have had their lives turned upside down by the illness. But today in the crowd you could feel the love. There was, to me anyway, just this vibe, a very heart-warming presence. Perhaps it was the spirits of all those souls. They were with us. I hope my father was watching as the ladies and I started on our walk.
I didn’t finish the 10k but managed to do 5k, which was pretty good. And that included a hill! So I was happy I at least finished that. There were three of my friends who did the 10k and that was awesome! We managed to raise $3,700 of our $5,000 goal. Teresa Burnatowski was our star fundraiser and brought in $2,700, but we all worked at getting the cash in. And we all donated as well to this cause that is so dear to my heart and to so many other families. Helping to raise this money felt good! And maybe that, too, was what made this event so important. We all felt we were doing what we could to keep this organization running.
With my friends and family along with me, walking by my side, I could not be more grateful or happy! It brings such joy to be with those you love. Raising money for such a wonderful organization is just a bonus.
Photo Credit
Photo courtesy of Martha Farley – all rights reserved
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