Walter Wilde’s only wish was to die at home. But as his cancer progressed and a bout of pneumonia put him in hospital, he needed more care than his family could provide. That’s when his daughter, Julie, started researching hospices in the Edmonton area.
When she found Pilgrims Hospice Society, she knew it was where her dad needed to be:
“I looked at a bunch of hospices and Pilgrims just really popped out. When you read the stories of how welcoming Pilgrims Hospice is, and you look at the pictures of the rooms and the surrounding area, nothing compares.”
It still took some convincing to get Walter on board, but the home-like feel of the Roozen Family Hospice Centre finally won him over. And he was comfortable from the moment he arrived. As Julie put it, “He never felt like a patient.”
That care and comfort extended to the family as well. During a conversation with her dad’s Hospice Care Team, one of the doctors emphasized the need for Julie and her mom to have the time to be family, not caregivers. That resonated with Julie and put her remaining time with her dad into perspective:
“When you’re someone’s constant caregiver, you don’t have the time to be with them as their family, to talk about the past or to reassure them that you’ll be okay when they’re gone. With Dad in hospice, other people were his caregivers. That gave us time to be his family and that was so important.”
With that in mind, the Wilde family made the most of the time they had left with Walter. Family from out of town, including Julie’s brother, were able to visit and stay with Walter at the Hospice. They celebrated Walter and Sandi’s 55th wedding anniversary and Sandi’s 75th birthday. Hospice staff took care of all the details, including decorating, so the family could focus on enjoying their time together. The chef even made a special birthday cake for the family to share.
“Pilgrims made it possible. They took all the stress away so we could just be together as a family.”
Soon after, Walter died, surrounded by those he loved the most. Looking back, Julie knows that bringing her dad to the Roozen Family Hospice Centre was the best thing for him and their family.
“The care and attention that the residents and their families get here is amazing. Dad always felt like he was at home. I can’t stress that enough. We know when we’re moving our loved ones into a hospice that it’s end of life. Pilgrims made it so much easier.”
The Wilde Family’s experience inspired Julie to want to give back so that other families can experience the care and comfort the Hospice provides.
“I may not be able to donate thousands of dollars, but I can walk. I can do the Hike every year.”
Julie recruited six other family members to walk with her in the 2023 Hike for Pilgrims Hospice and named their team The Wilde Walk after her dad’s philosophy on life: “Regardless of what happens, you just walk on.” Even Julie’s granddaughter, who had just learned to walk herself, participated and insisted on walking the entire five kilometres in Great Grandpa’s honour. “We were the very last team and I’m sure the volunteer who was walking behind us was willing us to pick up the pace,” laughed Julie. Fittingly, The Wilde Walk team logo features a grandfather and granddaughter walking hand in hand.
This year, The Wilde Walk team is back, ten members strong and with a fundraising goal of $1,500.
“If you have the opportunity to fundraise for anything, put your effort into something like this because we need more of them and so many people could benefit from it. It’s about the quality of care you want for your loved one. I’m at peace knowing Dad was here.”
There’s still time to join us for Hike for Pilgrims Hospice on Saturday, April 27 and to help us raise $250,000! Register or donate today. Every dollar helps provide compassionate end-of-life care and grief support programs at no cost to individuals and families in the Edmonton area.