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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 10, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com CABINET REFACING after Dear to her heart Continued from page 3 before First World War bookmarked near its final pages and a handmade shawl taking shape on a pair of knitting needles, Stainton appears younger than her 93 years. Stainton has worked for the local literacy council, volunteered at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) for a decade and got into palliative care volunteering for a while. She took classes in painting and tai chi and then taught knitting, crocheting and tai chi (while she was in her 80s). "One of my earliest memories is of myself sitting on a curb in Toronto, knitting with wooden skewers and string," said Stainton of a day when she was about five years old. It was also long ago now that cancer claimed the lives of some of her family members, but the experiences led to a lengthy volunteer career with the CCS Oakville Unit. Stainton said she began volunteering as her children grew -- "There were five lunches to make every day, and we only had one car." So, Stainton got her kids, and husband off to school, dropped her hubby at school and he often walked home. Stainton said many an evening she put in a call home to say she wouldn't make it home for dinner. "My husband was never very Helen Stainton good in the kitchen, but they managed," she said. Those were the times treatments were longer than anticipated or other issues arose. Sometimes after befriending clients, Stainton simply sat with them, sometimes past midnight, in hospital when they needed or asked for her. Stainton said she always had her knitting, books and often the company of others she'd meet at the hospitals to keep her busy -- and it was never a chore to sit with a friend in need. Stainton remembers when her younger sister was taken ill and given 48 hours to live ­ 48 hours that stretched into nearly eight months, unconscious in hospital. Stainton would drop off her cancer patients and then pop in to visit her sister -- talking to her, helping her with grooming, even though she was unconscious -- and then zipping back to pick up her patient. "It was grim," she said. Over the years the memories gathered by Stainton were anything, but grim, however. She recalled how she was left in charge of the Oakville Unit office for a few weeks -- the same few weeks the late Terry Fox ended up coming to town. "It was a nightmare. We had a little office and it was filled with people," said Stainton, noting that as she tried to manage the drivers and clients, children and parents were bringing in their coins, nickels and dimes that had to be counted, raised from lemonade stand sales. "It was frantic for a couple of weeks," laughed Stainton, who is quick to note, "I'm not much into big smiles," an assertion that belies her generous, friendly nature. Though the days are much quieter now for Stainton -- who began volunteering to transplant saplings at the local municipal greenhouse recently -- the memories of her days as a volunteer driver are never far away, be they on her top shelf, or in her heart. Oakville Member of Provincial Parliament Kevin Flynn invites you to join him for tea and refreshments in celebration of Heritage Week. ADMISSION IS FREE!! Learn about Oakville's rich history through former Mayor of Oakville Harry Barrett and Barbara Ann McAlpine, former president of the Bronte Historical Society, as they present the lifestyles and leisure of yesterday. At the close of the afternoon guests will be invited to take a guided tour of the Gallery's exhibit, featuring the artwork of Canadian born David Altmejd. j Date: Wednesday February 21, 2007 Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m. (Speakers begin at 1:30 p.m.) Location: Oakville Gallery, Gairloch Gardens, Education Centre 1306 Lakeshore Road East Oakville, ON L6J 1L6 Looking for Postmenopausal Women If you are: · A Healthy Postmenopausal Female · Between 18-71 years of age · Not regularly taking medication · A non-smoker · Able to attend visits as listed Sessions Available: Enter: 02 Mar 07 Exit: 04 Mar 07 or Enter: 09 Mar 07 Exit: 11 Mar 07 Plus 5 short return visits per session. You may qualify to participate in this research study, which may involve an investigational drug, and be compensated up to $72O upon study completion. Call: 905-629-5777 or Toll Free: 1-888-ARI-5544 Spaces are limited! Please R.S.V.P to: kflynn.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org or (905) 827-5141 Community Office Unit 2, 2330 Lakeshore Rd. W. Oakville, ON L6L 1H3 E-Mail: volunteer@allied-research.com Regular hours of operation: Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm & Saturday 9 am to 1 pm 4520 Dixie Rd in Mississauga 2 blocks south of Eglinton Ave www.allied-research.com ARI is a contract research organization dedicated to the advancement of clinical research. We conduct research for both healthy volunteers and those with medical conditions.