Michele and Sonny’s Story

In October, 2015, Michele and her husband Sonny left their home in Beaverdell for Kelowna General Hospital, seeking answers and treatment for a host of symptoms that had rendered Sonny increasingly ill. For six months, Michele navigated treacherous winter conditions as she made the commute from her home to KGH to be by her husband’s bedside. The thought of being separated from Sonny was inconceivable.

It was an incredibly stressful and emotional time.

Reflecting on what JoeAnna’s House will mean for people like her, Michele says;

“JoeAnna’s House will mean different things to different people. However one thing it will mean to everyone is one less thing to think about. When you’re supporting a loved one in the hospital, you are pulled in many different directions. Not having to figure out where you are going to stay lifts a part of the burden.

When someone comes to JoeAnna’s House, hopefully they will find more than a room. They will find someone to listen, to help them navigate the system, some calm in the storm. They will also find people there who are also going through similar circumstances.”

“My husband believed in giving back, and volunteered with many different organizations over the years. When someone needed help, he was always there to lend a hand. So to carry on his tradition, I want to give back. Supporting JoeAnna’s House is a way that I can help make sure that people in similar situations will not have to think, ‘Where am I going to go? Where will I stay? Who can I talk to? What will I do next?’”

Michelle never imagined that from that day in October, Sonny would never come home. He passed away from cancer in March 2016. She chose to give a gift to support JoeAnna’s House and agreed to share her story, and put a face to the many wives, sisters, daughters and grand-daughters (and husbands, brothers, sons and grandsons) who wish to remain close to their loved one’s bedside when they are at KGH.

The Palmer Family Story

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Charlotte Palmer was born early. At just 29 weeks, she weighed only 2.6 lbs, and has been in and out of the hospital ever since. At the age of one, Charlotte was diagnosed with MIRAGE syndrome, which is an extraordinarily rare condition; it is believed Charlotte is the only surviving child in Canada with MIRAGE right now.

Due to the complexity of Charlotte’s health, time at home as a family of four is rare and mom, Christina Palmer, who is on leave from her job as an RCMP officer, regularly transports Charlotte to either Vancouver (BC Children’s Hospital) or Kelowna (KGH) for treatment.

The Palmer family resides in Penticton, BC, and while a trip to Kelowna may seem ideal (compared to Vancouver), Charlotte’s dad, Rob, tells a different story.

“When Charlotte stays in Vancouver, we are almost always accommodated at the Ronald McDonald House,” says Rob. “Christina can stay right there, able to respond quickly if she’s needed, and my son and I can visit on weekends. While KGH is a closer hospital, we are not able to stay onsite, so are often rushing there in an emergency, which can happen at any time of the day or night. The highways are not always in great condition, and when your child’s health is at risk, driving back and forth can be harrowing.”

Christina echoes Rob’s sentiments.

“Keeping families together is critical, especially when you have a little one that’s sick,” she says. “The stress of being away from your home is one thing, and then the stress of having a sick child is another. So when you put them both together, it’s really overwhelming.”

The KGH Foundation has committed to building and operating JoeAnna’s House, a home that will provide a place to rest and relax within steps of their loved ones’ bedside. A place to be in community with others who are navigating a similar, difficult path.

It is with our deepest gratitude that we thank everyone who continues to support this incredible, and much-needed place for families to be together.

The Dear Family Story

Zacharias Dear was born prematurely in Creston, BC, and promptly transported with his mom, Lisa, to KGH for care. After two days, Lisa was discharged, but Zach remained under care for an additional five weeks. With nowhere to stay, Lisa and her husband, Max, were left scrambling. JoeAnna’s House will change everything for families like the Dears.

In the words of Lisa Dear from Creston, BC:

“My son, Zacharias was born on March 19th, 2016 at 4:40am. Premature and weighing just 2lbs 14oz, Zac spent his first 35 days in the NICU at the KGH. Our home, Creston BC, is 425km from the KGH – which is about a 5 hour drive on a good day, passing 4 summits to get there.

I had a healthy pregnancy up until 33 weeks when I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. My midwife was out of town for the weekend and asked me to go to the hospital in Nelson to be monitored for a couple of days. Nelson, BC is 73km from Creston which is about an hour and a half drive, passing one of the highest summits in Canada.

On arrival, my kidneys were spilling proteins, my liver was failing and my blood pressure was extremely high (161/90). I was told to pack my bags for 2 days. I asked if I should be prepared to bring home a baby, and my midwife hadn’t even considered that. I literally had 2 pairs of clean underwear.

At 1:00am, my doctor came into my room. He’d done a test around 9pm. At that point, he had no concerns and said he would do another test in the morning and then we’d be free to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. My husband, Max, was thrilled to learn that we’d be home in time to watch his favourite team play soccer, or “football” as they call it in the UK.

At 1:00am, my doctor showed up in my room and said he couldn’t sleep. He said something didn’t feel right and he didn’t want to wait to do the test. Within an hour, I was being prepped for an emergency C section. My husband asked if I could be induced – this wasn’t part of the “birthing plan” at all – and the doctor said any delays could be fatal. Not just for Zacharias, but for me too. I can’t even imagine what my husband went through in learning the circumstances were as severe as they were. He was my rock throughout EVERYTHING.

Zacharias was born at 4:40am. I did not get to meet him until 9am. When he was born, he didn’t cry. The silence was frightening.

When arranging for transport, the Vancouver Children’s Hospital was mentioned, and it wasn’t until the last minute that we found out we’d be medevac’d to KGH.

Just a few hours after Zacharias was born, he was flown to KGH. I was unable to fly with him because I had just come out of major surgery and there wasn’t enough room for 2 patients in the airplane. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch my husband and my newborn son leave without me. I was unsure whether or not I’d even be able to fly out the same day to be with them. Luckily they came back for me 5 hours later.

I arrived in Kelowna that afternoon. I was fortunate enough to be admitted into a room near the NICU while I recovered from my C section, however, I was discharged after just 2 days. Zac needed to stay for another 33 days and I found myself away from home, not knowing where I was going to stay, with my newborn son in critical care. AND I only had 1 clean pair of underwear by now.

It was so scary, I didn’t know what we were going to do. Fortunately, KGH has some amazing social workers and Laura was able to connect us with the Variety Club and Cops for Kids – we can’t thank you enough!! These 2 charities were able to cover our accommodations and a few groceries for the duration of Zac’s stay in the NICU.

Although everyone did the best they could, the hotel was a 10-minute drive from the hospital. I was unable to drive for the first bit while I recovered from my c section, and Max was only able to spend the first week with us. He had to return to work and was only able to stay with us on the weekends. Because we were unsure how long I’d have to stay, I had to change rooms every single week.

Having JoeAnna’s House would have meant the world to me and my family. If we had the constant stability of knowing we had a safe place to stay for the duration of Zac’s time in the hospital would have given me and my family so much security in that time of crisis. Having a welcoming place where other families going through similar experiences can connect and support each other – even just knowing that you’re not the only one – will make a huge difference.

JoeAnna’s House will keep families together and would have allowed me to stay close to Zac at all times.”