Turning precious time into cherished moments at Canuck Place

What if you only had one more hand-made craft from your child? What if last night’s bedtime snuggle was the last one? When you have fewer days than you planned for, it’s the moments with loved ones that matter most. For some families at Canuck Place, time is even shorter.

Hope and Ben Cholette found their way into Canuck Place’s care when their son Jack was born with Trisomy 5p, a genetic condition so rare that the medical community had almost no information about it. The Cholette’s spent the first month of Jack’s life confused, lost and heartbroken.

Faced with the toughest decision of their lives, Hope and Ben lovingly considered all their options and made the brave choice for Jack to live a quality life with the time he had left. No more poking and prodding, no more tests. This was the beginning of their family’s motto ‘follow Jack’s path,’ that guided them for 11 years.

The Cholette’s first introduction to Canuck Place was impactful. They were being discharged from the hospital, and in a sea of doctors and nurses giving what felt like gloom and doom news, they met a glimmer of hope.

“Dr. Hal Siden, Canuck Place medical director, spoke to us about Jack and his potential, and the air in the room got a little bit lighter. It felt like someone was finally on our side,” says Hope.

After many years of being hesitant about needing Canuck Place’s support, the family engaged with the program and saw it for the gift it truly is; a source of hope, a place you don’t want to belong to, but if you have to, it’s the very best place to be.

Hope, Ben and their children, including Jack’s siblings, Andrew and Ella, loved spending time at Canuck Place Abbotsford — Dave Lede House. It was close to their home in Chilliwack. They booked medical respite stays for their whole family, and they affectionately called it ‘Camp Canuck Place.’

“Jack loved ‘Camp Canuck Place,’ ” Hope explains. “He had fun, got tons of cuddles with his favourite nurse, Karen, made new friends, created art, participated in music therapy and had some pet visits with recreation therapy.”

At Canuck Place, Jack was recognized as a child first. He was able to have fun and just be a kid. And Hope and Ben were able to receive much-needed rest and relaxation while the nurses and doctors took care of Jack’s medical complexities.

One of Jack’s favourite activities was to get messy with arts and crafts. Whether it was taking the guts out of pumpkins to make Jack-o-Lanterns at Halloween, finger painting or making hand-print mugs and plates, the arts and crafts he created are mementos that his family continues to cherish.

“I cherish each memento, they are all I have of him, and I am beyond grateful,” says Hope.