Heartland Hospice announces $693,974 raised in capital campaign for hospice care

Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw held its second annual Gala on May 25 at the Grant Hall Hotel, with a Black and White theme, silent auction, a raffle — and some enormous donor gifts.

“Hospice care is something people generally don’t think about until someone they care about requires it. Without dedicated hospice beds, the terminally ill must either have their family care for them in their final end-of-life days, or be relocated to the hospital,” Angela Sereda, chair of the Heartland Hospice board and the evening’s MC, said in her opening remarks.

Heartland Hospice was founded in 2014 and has been working ever since to increase the number of dedicated hospice beds at Pioneer Lodge on Albert St. They have built one bed so far, and have re ceived SHA approval to move ahead with an expansion that will result in the follow ing improvements:

• Three dedicated hospice-palliative bed rooms;

• family resource centre with reading ma terials and activities for children;

• A sacred space for the use of the whole facility;

• A dedicated family entrance separate from the long-term care section;

• A serenity garden, upon which much work has already been completed, and;

• Essential palliative care training for hospice staff.

“We are also extremely honoured to have members of the Bradford family with us this evening as our very special guests,” Sereda continued, “to share some of the inspirations their family carries from the life of their precious Maren.”

The Bradford family’s daughter Mar en died last year of mitochondrial disease at only six years old. Maren’s love of pan das, and the green colour of mitochondri al disease awareness, were the inspiration for the gala’s themes, including a dessert table stocked with her favourite snacks.

Maren benefited from hospice care during the final stages of her life, and her mother, Cathy Bradford, spoke to advo cate for increased hospice care resources in Moose Jaw.

“People don’t want to think about their loved ones getting sick, let alone passing away,” Bradford said in her emo tional address. “Our story is unique to us, but … we have learned so much through it. We believe Maren’s legacy will be the lessons and empathy that came from her journey here. Of course, it was too short. And lots of things are unfair. And I would give anything to have her back.

“We found our team of people,” Bradford said, as she related the efforts the family put in to making Maren’s life

By Gordon Edgar -

Express/MooseJawToday.com

Home;

• $75,000 from the Rigetti family;

• $150,000 from Hetherington Livestock;

• $150,000 from the Jameson family;

• More than $50,000 in anonymous donations, some from out of province.

Major donors received naming rights to various sections of the planned renovations at Pioneer Lodge.

Board member Amanda Dowling closed the evening by saying Heartland Hospice is optimistic that renovations will be fully completed in early 2024 — the

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