The Impact of Smith’s Legacy
| As the holiday season emerges upon us, and our days get busy with everything family and friends, we remember that not everyone is so fortunate with the gift of time. With this in mind, Smith’s Legacy is so pleased to make our final gift of 2024 to Acclaim Health – “Patty’s Place Dementia Care Centre”. Smith’s Legacy has provided a 7-day respite to an Acclaim Health family … their loved one will be cared for at “JIM’s Suites” for one week, all expenses paid. And as a bonus, because this gift was made on “Giving Tuesday”, our donation was matched by a generous Acclaim donor … this means that Smith’s Legacy has given 2 families a week-long respite each. WOW!! Acclaim Health is an organization similar to the VON (Victorian Order of Nurses) … Smith’s great-great Aunt Margaret was a VON travelling nurse and our family has always known how important this work is. Acclaim Health tackles so many modern-day issues through in-home nursing, life-limiting and palliative care, caregiver support, bereavement support, financial assistance for urgent needs, and in the last few years, providing full-circle dementia care at their state-of-the-art facility “Patty’s Place”. At Patty’s Place, one of the many programs offered is “JIM’s Suites”, providing all-inclusive care and 24-hour respite for people living with dementia … respite for their caregiver and their family. A stay here includes all day programming, meals, private room, and around-the-clock care/social support. This gives the client’s caregiver the opportunity to get away for some needed respite and not worry about the care of their loved one … imagine a family vacation, attending a wedding or reunion out of town, or just simply catching up on life to rest, rejuvenate and renew the spirit. Thank you for helping us continue to pay-forward the kindness we received. As Acclaim Health says, “people helping people is the ultimate celebration of our humanity”. Check out this YouTube video about Naome and what JIM’s Suites and Patty’s Place mean to their family, and how it helped Naome spend time with out-of-town family. Quotes: “I wish to express my gratitude for what JIM’s Suites has done for myself & my husband. If I hadn’t had the help I received, I would not have been able to get my needed surgery, as I am a soul caregiver. JIM’s Suites is an oasis for our loved ones. It truly is a pleasant environment for them to thrive and it gives us caregivers a sense of calm knowing they are cared for & making our load lighter.” Deanna – excerpt from her story about a subsidized stay at JIM’s Suites. |
| For years, summer camp has almost been a “rite of passage” for young people … leaving the familiar, learning and growing and making new friends, then returning home to incorporate some of the stuff you experienced! Smith loved summer camp!! … and we thought it would be so appropriate for Smith’s Legacy to support some Campers this summer who are dealing with a life-limiting illness. And what we found, were 7 young people about to embark on an inspiring journey. Partnering with the Huntington Society of Canada (HSC) and the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organization (HDYO), Smith’s Legacy will be helping with out-of-pocket expenses for 7 Canadian youth to attend an international camp in Maryland. Huntington’s disease (HD) is a generational neurodegenerative disease that affects the entire family. It can best be described as having Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS wrapped up into one. Young people are extremely vulnerable because they often watch loved ones and parents suffer and then must grapple with a lack of awareness, isolation, fear of their own risk of being/or actually testing gene-positive, being symptomatic, taking on role reversal as a caregiver, and many more emotions. The ‘North American Camp’, a program of HDYO, offers this rare community a life-changing opportunity to get together with other young people (about 18-25) who simply understand what each other is going through. Campers are guided by HD professionals, including HSC, who provide tools and resources for mental and emotional well-being as they each deal with their own HD journey. In addition, they will be building lasting relationships and having fun throughout this 4-day experience, back for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. HD families often face financial difficulties due to the ongoing support they need. HDYO fundraises to cover major costs for Campers, like flights, room and board, and camp activities. However, additional costs like camp gear (e.g. sleeping bags, sheets, toiletries, etc.), transportation to and from the airport, baggage fees, food in transit, etc. are the responsibility of the Camper. Smith’s Legacy is helping to alleviate this extra burden to ensure the Camp experience is as stress-free and impactful as possible for these youth. Quotes: “What I do know is that today is the best day for me. Because tomorrow, the next day, the next week – they’re all just moments closer to having Huntington’s disease.” Jaclyn – young person who has tested gene-positive for Huntington’s disease. |
| As 2023 comes to a close, and in consultation with staff at Lansdowne Children’s Centre in Smith’s hometown of Brantford, Smith’s Legacy is honoured to help two families with financial support to ease a bit of the burden they are dealing with. Illness in a family can be about a child, or about a parent. Both of the single Moms we are supporting with these gifts are coping with health concerns, while also caring for their children who have their own health challenges. The first Mom is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Radiation will come next. The costs of driving to Hamilton and parking at the hospital has put added pressure on a single Mom who is also caring for two children under 12, both with special needs. In addition to helping with travel expenses, Smith’s Legacy is also providing support for dinner out. We can well imagine that Mom is exhausted from travel and treatment and might like to just let someone else do the cooking … and, we know that kids will never say no to restaurant meals! The second Mom is dealing with multiple crises. Currently requiring testing, biopsies and surgery herself, she cares for two teenage children with their own health issues. One teen is at McMaster Children’s Hospital with a continuing long admission of post-surgical care, and the other teen is dealing with a life-limiting diagnosis. Frequent trips to Hamilton have resulted in unexpected travel expenses, and Smith’s Legacy will be providing support to help them cover these costs. Additionally, each teen is receiving their own gift card to do things with their friends. Friends are so important at this age, and Smith’s friends were so supportive to him when he was diagnosed at 14. |
| Smith’s Legacy is honoured to make its first gifts to help two families deal with the illness of their loved one. In consultation with staff at McMaster Children’s Hospital – Pediatric Oncology in Hamilton, the same unit where Smith received care, two young patients and their families will receive support. The first family is dealing with the brain tumour diagnosis of their 14-year-old daughter earlier this year, a scenario that Smith’s family knows all too well. The family lives more than an hour out of town and has been driving in to McMaster multiple times each week for treatments, and will also be adding radiation treatment at Juravinski Cancer Centre in future. The expense of travel has been a major burden for the family, especially with a parent needing to be off work to bring their daughter in. Smith’s Legacy will be providing support to them to help cover these costs. The second family is dealing with the very recent diagnosis of their 2-year-old son, who has undergone multiple surgeries and is currently on chemotherapy to fight a brain tumour. The family comes to McMaster very frequently for treatments, while also dealing with other stressors in the family. The financial impact of a diagnosis on top of everything else has taken a huge toll on the family. Smith’s Legacy will be providing support to help them with the costs of food and supplies to ease a bit of the pressure they are dealing with. |
SMITH'S LEGACY 