Families in Canada 2019

On March 27 and 28, 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, the Vanier Institute of the Family hosted the Families in Canada Conference 2019 - a national, pan-Canadian conference with simultaneous satellite events co-hosted by university partners across the country. Memorial University of Newfoundland hosted a satellite event here in St. John's, which explored themes and topics related to families and mobility.

"Geographical mobility and immobility are integral parts of daily life that affect us all. One of the key challenges for families is managing the diverse and divergent responsibilities of individual family members related to work, school, community involvement, recreation and other activities.
This can be particularly complex for some families, such as those who need to travel far from home for often prolonged periods in order to access education, work or health care (such as with many Indigenous people living in Newfoundland and Labrador); people who need to move frequently as part of their job and career (e.g. military, police); families living with disability; families new to Canada; families experiencing violence; and more.

Memorial University’s Families in Canada Conference 2019 satellite event will focus on Families on the Move, where catalytic conversations will be fostered and facilitated among diverse delegates, including mobile workers, immigrants, First Nations, Inuit, military personnel, veterans, public safety personnel, survivors of domestic violence and people with disabilities, as well as those who study mobility and families among these groups, and those who serve and support them."

I was honoured to be invited to speak on a panel entitled: Lived Experience of Mobility and Families. We are the experts of our own lives and yet so often those with lived experience are missing from the conversation. This panel gave voice to those who are most affected by mobility to help others understand how it impacts them and their families.

It was my pleasure to share some of my own family's lived experiences with mobility challenges, and while there was a lot of diversity around the table, it was interesting to note that many common issues came up across the panel. Feelings of isolation, a desire for connectedness and a sense of belonging, and the importance of family were shared by both myself and many others who have experienced mobility in different ways.

A huge take-away for me was the importance of not only sharing our stories and our lived experiences, but the importance of listening to each other. We can learn so much from each other if we take the time to truly listen and to absorb what we are hearing. There was much discussion over the past couple of days about the benefit of positive collaborations among organizations and community groups, and my hope is that going forward we can work together to create a community that cares well for its most vulnerable populations. All people are worthy, regardless of our backgrounds or our abilities and we are all interconnected. As this conference showed, our understanding of the world is perhaps best informed by learning the experiences of others.

Thanks to Bojan Fürst for these wonderful photos!

Thank you to Memorial University of Newfoundland for hosting this satellite event, and to The Vanier Institute of the Family - a national, independent, charitable organization dedicated to understanding the diversity and complexity of families and the reality of family life in Canada.

Camp Bumbleberry

As Summer inches closer, I can't help but get excited by the thoughts of warm weather activities and outdoor adventures. For our family, a highlight of our Summers has been taking Brennen to Easter Seals Family Camp: Camp Bumbleberry!

I love everything about Summer Camp - the camp shirts, the camaraderie, the sunburn, the mosquito bites. Every year for seven consecutive years, we would fill the car with gear (blankets and sleeping bags, extra clothes, towels, flashlight, camera, medicine, feeding supplies, sunscreen, wheelchair, tumble form, kitchen sink...) and drive forty minutes out the highway to the Lavrock facility on the Salmonier Line.

"Summer Camp at Easter Seals is an amazing experience for campers with disabilities. Our camp is open to people with any disability, and we have a camp for people of any age. Camp is offered in both an overnight and day camp setting. Campers are encouraged to try new experiences, build self confidence and increase personal independence in a safe and secure setting. Lifelong friendships are formed and time spent among their peers is invaluable. Campers enjoy a wide variety of activities meeting a diverse level of interests and abilities. Programs are adapted as needed and include archery, canoeing, roller sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball, arts and crafts, campfires, evening socials, and many more."

Our camp experiences have become some of our greatest Summer memories. I first discovered 'spider wieners' at Easter Seals camp! I love sitting around a campfire, the air thick with campfire smoke, and roasting marshmallows into crisp perfection. I love the sing-a-longs, and the silly stories. I love connecting with families, meeting new people and reuniting with old friends.

Easter Seals Family Camp, for us, has been a welcome getaway from our everyday routines. It is a much-needed weekend away - together as a family, but away from the structure and routine and appointments and planning and the isolation we can often feel as a family raising a child with special needs.

Joining other families and connecting with other parents of children with disabilities is so important, and watching your child make friends and participate in activities that are tailored to their ability is a beautiful thing.

Camping with Easter Seals is a fabulous experience! It is fun and relaxing, exciting and exhausting.. and like most summer camps, it is totally worth the mosquito bites!

Go HERE to learn more about Easter Seals camps!

Every Meal is a Happy Meal

We've had our fair share of hospital visits with our son, Brennen. He has had a number of surgeries that have required him to be admitted to the Janeway for several days and nights. We are fortunate that we live fairly close to the hospital, so Andrew and I can take turns running home to shower and change, and to catch some much-needed rest before facing another challenging day. For families who live outside of the city, that is not so easy. It must be a tremendous worry to have a sick child, and be faced with leaving your home, unplanned, for an undetermined amount of time.

Ronald McDonald House Newfoundland and Labrador offers a home-away-from-home for families, providing comfortable and affordable accommodations while their children receive care and treatment at the Janeway Children's Hospital in St. John's. Their priority is to provide a secure and stable environment for families during what can be a very stressful time.

Our local Ronald McDonald House provides the simple things that put some joy and normalcy back into families lives, like sitting down for a home-cooked meal together, and waking up together, under one roof, ready to face the tough day ahead. Some families stay for just a short time, others for weeks, months, and sadly, some stay for a year or more. Ronald McDonald House Newfoundland and Labrador truly offers a place where families are taken care of so that they, in turn, are better able to care for their children.

Every day for the past 10 years, Canadians have supported Ronald McDonald Houses across the country through the McDonald's Happy Meal donation program - 10 cents of every Happy Meal purchase goes directly to RMHC. The program has helped support 20,000 families every year across the country.

On September 17th, Ronald McDonald House families had the opportunity to thank Canadians for their support in a very special way! All customers in McDonald's restaurants across the country received their order in a Happy Meal Box that included a personal Thank You card from a family that has stayed at a Ronald McDonald House. This was the first time that Ronald McDonald House families have been able to express their gratitude to Canadians for their support through the Happy Meal program.

Click this video to watch the magic happen!

Over 75 families from Ronald McDonald Houses across the country created personal Thank You cards, including Selina and Sheldon Carroll. They have been staying at Ronald McDonald House NL since March, when their son, Michael was born prematurely. (That's Michael's little footprint on the blue heart!) The Carroll's are from Labrador City.

Michael Myles Joseph Carroll was born on March 20, 2015 at 8:41 am, weighing 2 pounds 2 ounces.

His birth was very early, and with that came a whole slew of premature complications. Michael was also born with several surgical complications which cannot be repaired until he grows bigger and stronger. His Mom, Selina says, "Throughout it all, our son has been such a fighter. He has been through more in his short life than Sheldon and I have been through in our whole lives. He is our little miracle, our hero and our true inspiration. Words cannot describe how thankful we are for the love and support that our families and friends have shown to us throughout this very difficult time. We can't wait for the day that Michael is strong enough to come home."

Selina says that they are extremely thankful to Ronald McDonald House. Inside their Thank You card, she wrote:

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for providing us a second home while our premature son is being cared for in the Janeway. Through all our ups and downs on Michael's journey, the staff and volunteers here at the Ronald McDonald House have been so supportive and loving. From the home cooked meals, happy faces and late night chats, our stay has been second to none. So very grateful for everything and everyone. We have met friends here that we will have for life, and that is a great gift."

I was thrilled to have been invited to attend this very touching event. It was a pleasure to meet this sweet family, and to learn about their precious baby boy. It was especially moving to see the expression on people's faces when they unexpectedly received a Thank You card with their meal.

"Thank You."

There is so much packed into those two little words. Gratitude is a wonderful thing, and I firmly believe that it is just as important to show it as it is to receive it. Appreciating the beauty in the big and small things, in the people around you, in the good efforts and good intentions of others, and recognizing what makes you truly thankful and happy about right now can have a powerful impact on your state of mind. When faced with a challenging situation, it can be comforting to acknowledge the blessings, and to give back and show gratitude to others for their acts of kindness towards us.

Little moments are to be celebrated, and on this day, we celebrated all of the people who purchased meals at McDonald's restaurants, who in turn helped people like the Carrolls in a big way.

It was a very moving experience, and one that will stay with me, as I try to instill a strong sense of gratitude within my own family.
We are happiest when we are most grateful.

To see all of the cards and for more details on the Happy Meal program, please visit RMHCThankYou.ca