The Last Christmas - Hospice Fundraiser

Last Christmas. 

Last Christmas was born out of my own difficult experience of losing my mother on New Years day. An incredibly strong woman with a lot of fight, she fought her final battle over the holidays. As a family, we spent her last Christmas in the hospice and the community support during that time is something I will never forget.

From a budding nature sanctuary outside the window, turkey dinner on Christmas and a constant supply of home baked cookies, the community did everything they could to provide a sense of 'home' and 'normal' to an incredibly difficult time. We often forget that these gifts and gestures are funded by goodwill and donations from the community. For all we went through, my pain was a little less because of their support. In that spirit, let's ease someone else's pain this holiday season. After all, sharing is caring.

Proceeds will fund the purchase of daily comforts that will allow the hospice to provide a sense of 'home' for the patients and their families. Where possible, consultations will be made with hospice staff to determine what small gifts might brighten a patient's last Christmas. Additional funds will go directly to the hospice for patient care.

This year donations will support the Hospice Renfrew in the Ottawa Valley. Should proceeds exceed hopes, the Ruddy Shenkman Hospice in Kanata will receive donations in memory of Melissa "Missy" Smith.