(L-R) Aidan, Lindsay, and Shawn Coates at home.

The kind of event that shatters your very existence brought Shawn and Lindsay to Kelowna after a serious car accident left their son, Aidan, critically injured, and their world suddenly unrecognizable.

“We were exhausted shells of ourselves, broken and unsure of the future,” Lindsay recalls. Amid the uncertainty, there were painfully ordinary questions: Where do we stay? For how long? What now? But the moment Lindsay stepped through the doors of JoeAnna’s House, she snapped a photo of the sign at the front entrance: “Welcome to JoeAnna’s House. Kick off your shoes and make yourself at home.”

They soon realized they weren’t just guests; they were part of a family they never knew they needed. A home where the circumstances that bring you here bond you to people in unexpected ways. A refuge filled with quiet music, gentle chatter, and support.

Reflecting on a conversation with a volunteer named Donna, Lindsay shared: “She simply asked us how we were doing. When Shawn revealed that recovery could take months, Donna reassured us that we were welcome to stay here for as long as we needed. That was everything.”

They found peace in daily rituals like morning tea, shared meals, and evening chats. They forged friendships with people from across Canada. Each carried a different story, but they were all on the same flight, riding out their own turbulence.

JoeAnna’s House, and the people within it, gave Lindsay and Shawn space to unmask, and set down the guilt that so often comes with feeling anything other than fear or sadness. It became okay to laugh, to breathe, to feel human again. It replaced the grief, stress, and monotony, if only briefly, with warmth, laughter, and the quiet understanding of people walking parallel paths.

“That nurtured us,” Lindsay said. “An isolated hotel room could never have done that.” Another guest from Nelson, gave them a four-leaf clover that traveled with Aidan from ICU to rehab, and through every ward and waiting room in between.

Now, it sits in his home as a symbol of how deeply small offerings can matter, especially when shared by someone carrying their own burdens.

During their first week, Lindsay and Shawn weren’t emotionally ready to join Share a Meal nights. By the second, they leaned in. They feared being pitied, but what they experienced was compassion without condescension.

“It was lighthearted. You could feel the kindness,” Lindsay said. “It brought us all together in a safe, respectful way. Connection without pressure. And yes, your soul really can heal over burrito bowls and apple crisp with ice cream.”

“Julie, the Share a Meal volunteer, really made those nights special. She immediately felt like a friend.”

Being steps away from the hospital allowed them to be fully present for their son without the added stress of commuting, parking, or getting to him quickly. Being a short walk to the lake also became part of their healing.

“We’re certain Aidan’s recovery would have looked very different without JoeAnna’s House. His care teams even said our presence made a real difference in his progress. JoeAnna’s House made it possible.”

“You know how, on a flight, they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others? JoeAnna’s House was our oxygen mask. Sleep, hygiene, and food wouldn’t have been enough. It was the community within the house— and everything that came with it— that gave us the strength to show up for our son every single day.”

JoeAnna’s House held them through it all, giving them safety, comfort, and community at a time when they had no one else nearby. When Aidan was finally discharged, they were overjoyed, but there was also a deep sadness in leaving.

“We didn’t just leave a building, we left a circle of care that had become our anchor.”

They continue their journey and maintain the friendships they made at JoeAnna’s House.

“Kelowna General Hospital saved our son’s life. JoeAnna’s House helped us stay strong enough to walk beside him every step of the way. And for that, we will always be grateful.”