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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, April 29,1998 Section Two Page 5 Hospice Durham Befriends the Terminally III Hospi by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer Learning that your spouse, child or parent has a terminal illness can turn your world upside down. But you needn't bear the emotional burden alone. "Hospice Durham is in your community and willing willing to help," says hospice co-ordinator Kathryn Roberts. Volunteers with the charitable organization arc paired with people facing life-threatening illnesses. For example, clients may have cancer, ALS, AIDS or lung disease. Regular weekly visits offer primary caregivers a few hours of respite relief. And for the patients, the Hospice Durham volunteer volunteer offers more than a sympathetic ear and voice. Volunteers and clients are matched for mutual interest. One volunteer will be happy to play cards with a terminally ill patient who can't get enough gin rummy, Roberts explains. Another can be a willing pair of hands in the garden for the man who's always been proud of hi.s homegrown homegrown vegetables. Yet another volunteer will share their favorite Southern gospel tapes with the client who loves to sing. Or the volunteer can just be a friend to sit with in quiet company. "We are not there to replace family and friends; we are there to complement," complement," says Roberts. In her five years with )ice Durhami, vVIs. Roberts has seen the typical client profile change dramatically In her five years with Hospice Durham, she has seen the typical client profile profile change dramatically. "It used to be the client age 70 or over was the norm. Now they are getting getting much younger." Recently she matched a volunteer with an 18- month-old cancer patient. "It was the grandmother who called. She was worried worried about her daughter who was also caring for a four-year-old." In that case, the child was the recipient of a very new stem cell transplant at Sick Kids Hospital. Hospice Durham played a key role in helping helping the family through a time of need. Roberts has also learned primary caregivers can be slow to ask for assistance. "Some don't seek help until they are so fatigued and then guilt-ridden because they can't do it all." She urges people not to delay after a prognosis, to give a volunteer a chance to form a bond with the family and be of real service. service. Lyr.n Liddell is one of 80 trained volunteers with Hospice Durham. She explains why she got involved five years ago: "I couldn't help notice how we love babies. We pick them up and hug them. But with our dying, vve stay at arm's length. I believe we should be treated treated the same way when we arc going out of this world as we were treated when we came into it," Liddell has a quick answer for anyone who asks if it isn't very depressing being a buddy to a dying person. "Yes, it's sad when people people die. But I know I can't change their prognosis. Wlml I can do is make a difference for a few hours a week in their life That's my mandate -1 make it as n jtiiÉk 1 Kathryn Roberts Lynn Liddell positive as possible for them. " Liddell, too, encourages encourages families to call Hospice Durham after learning a loved one's prognosis. There is no charge for the service. And, as Roberts points out, Hospice Durham is there to help families keep and care for dying relatives relatives at home rather than send them to an institution. institution. "Hospitals are for Curing," Curing," says Roberts. "It's not a place you want to be when life is winding down. You want to be in familiar surroundings, with your cat on your lap and have lemon meringue pie and tea at 3 a.m." Hospice Durham receives some funding from the Ministry of Health. However, the majority of operating funds come from bequests and fund-raising. The biggest fund-raiser is the sale of autumn corms. The autumn corm (or crocus) is the official flower for Hospice Durham. It comes up in the spring with the promise of life, explains Kathryn Roberts. The foliage dies away in early July and then, by mid-September, you have bright pink blossoms. blossoms. "It's like the life cycle of birth and then rebirth," adds Liddell. The next training session session for Hospice Durham volunteers begins on Tuesday, April 28th in Oshawa. Please call 623-3691 or (905) 435-5242 to sign up or to order autumn crocuses. crocuses. Price is $3 each or 5 for $12. Dedication of New Chapel Accessories at Hospital Thanks to the generosity of the Auxiliary to Memorial Hospital Bowmanville, the hospital's chapel has some new liturgical accessories for its worship services. A dedication dedication ceremony was held Wednesday, April 9th, in the chapel to unveil the items which include a Christ candle, altar cloth, communion-ware, baptismal baptismal font and advent wreath. The hospital auxiliary donated $1,000 towards the purchase of the items. On hand for the ceremony was Rev. Bruce White, Chaplain (right) and June Hunter, President of the Hospital Auxiliary (left), along with ministerial volunteers, hospital staff and patients. AN OPEN INVITATION TO RESIDENTS OF CLARINGTON. As Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer of Ontario Hydro, I would like to invite Clarington residents to join Darlington Site Vice President, Bob Strickert and me at a public meeting on May 13, 7-9 PM at Bowmanville High School. The meeting is one of the ways in which Ontario Hydro is focusing on our goal of being more open, accountable and responsive to neighbours' concerns. A key recommendation of the Independent Integrated Performance Assessment released last August was to set specific goals for the nuclear recovery program and to monitor progress on a continuing basis. We are committed to ensuring this takes place. One of the purposes of the May 13 meeting is to report on our progress to date, specifically in the areas of public safety, environmental performance, employee safety and production performance. The staff of the Darlington Nuclear Station are highly skilled professionals dedicated to improving the performance of the station on every measurement. This includes a commitment to building a strong and sustaining relationship with the local community. Staff members will be at the meeting to answer questions and listen to your concerns. We look forward to seeing you on May 13, sharing our progress with you and hearing your views on how we can do better. Bob Strickert Site Vice President, Darlington Nuclear Generating Station G. Carl Andognini Executive Vice President, and Chief Nuclear Officer Ontario Hydro IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION Come see the NEW BEETLE! Drivers wanted® JACKET!© Bring your best photo of a VW Beetle to win. 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