Chris and Hollie Hall created many memories with their daughter Lily at Canuck Place.SUPPLIED
Support enables children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to live fully in the time they have left
Chris and Hollie Hall admit their first encounter with Canuck Place staff was “scary and confusing.” At the time, they were still hopeful that their 16-year-old daughter Lily would recover from the rare malignant brain tumour that required frequent hospital admissions for treatment.
“At first we were not happy to see Canuck Place staff because we knew they were from a hospice for children to go to die, and we had so much hope that Lily would recover,” says Ms. Hall.
But it soon became clear that Canuck Place was exactly the support the family needed to help them through the most difficult time of their lives, and they entered the pediatric palliative care program early in 2017.
The Halls describe Canuck Place as a unique facility because it takes care of the whole family from the point of diagnosis, through the progression of the child’s illness, to end-of-life care.
“We accessed Canuck Place for medical respite care for when we needed a break for a few days or went on a short trip away,” says Ms. Hall. “Recreation therapy was fantastic; it gave Lily and Chris an opportunity to go to see Canucks hockey games from right behind the net. When we used their respite services, we were all provided with exceptionally good care. We had a comfortable suite to stay in, delicious meals and a chance to relax. We know Lily was in excellent care. She loved hanging out in the alcove watching TV and catching up with the nurses. We always felt special and well cared for when we stayed in-house.”
Chris Hall says Lily was a beautiful girl, exceptionally kind and caring. She loved animals, dancing and had a great sense of humour.
“Lily made a special connection with all the Canuck Place nurses but especially with Pip, Sandy, Jenny – and with Poppy the therapy dog,” he says. “Nurse Sandy, Camara and Dr. Natasha made sure to check in with us at home a month before Lily passed away. We spent her last four days at Canuck Place so we could just be with her and not worry about having to think about administering her medication. We could just savour every moment with her. I will never forget how recreation therapist Laura made a special trip to buy Lily some bath bombs so she could have a nice bath.”
It was a time for us as a family to laugh and feel connected – literally – at what really was an incredibly sad time.
— Hollie Hall
Making memories together is an important part of recreation therapy at Canuck Place.
“Canuck Place recreation therapists Laura and Gillian came over to help us make our family hand mould. It was a time for us as a family to laugh and feel connected – literally – at what really was an incredibly sad time,” adds Ms. Hall. “We got to escape the reality that our daughter was dying and have a joyous time. We also got beautiful pendants made with Lily’s fingerprint and name engraved on the back. I wear mine always.”
Lily died on November 25, 2020, but Canuck Place continues to play a big role in the Halls’ lives.
“I talk to Canuck Place counsellor Andrea, who offers me grief counselling every one to two weeks, and we have just finished a Zoom bereavement group with other families run by Canuck Place counsellors,” says Ms. Hall.
The couple have applied to join the Canuck Place Family Advisory Committee, a volunteer council integral to supporting the organization in delivering the best-possible care to children and families across B.C.
They are also representing Canuck Place in this year’s Light a Life campaign, which runs from October 17 to December 31. Every gift will support children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to live fully during the time they have left.
For more information: canuckplace.org
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.