Volunteer Stories

Some people think volunteering with Hospice requires special people. If there's one lesson Hospice work teaches, it's that ordinary people are, well, extraordinary. Maybe you want to help Hospice, but becoming a volunteer seems intimidating. What can I do? you may be asking yourself. Do I have what it takes?

Rest assured, you're not alone. These are questions that all volunteers ask themselves at one time or another. Here are some stories of our volunteers, ordinary people — like you and me — doing extraordinary things.

Bobby Lawson

For nearly two decades, Hospice volunteer Catherine T. (Bobby) Lawson provided hope in the midst of darkness to numerous people and families facing the journey of dying and loss. On a summer morning in 1986 while working in her kitchen she heard the radio announcer talk about Hospice needing volunteers to help people and families cope with terminal illness and grief. She knew immediately that she wanted to help.

When diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in the summer of 2005, the 80-year-old faced her own end-of-life issues with the same dignity, grace and courage in which she lived her life. It was then that she decided to pass the baton of hope on to future generations. Bobby, who died at her Millidgeville home on March 2, 2006, made the founding donation for our Hospice House Development Fund prior to her death. “Bobby’s dream” attracted other donations in the months that followed, allowing Hospice to purchase a home on Douglas Avenue. In May 2006, Bobby’s Hope House, Atlantic Canada’s first stand-alone Hospice, became a reality.

Bobby and her family - Bobby, Owen, Joan, Gary, John, Barb, Charlene and Lee - want everyone in our community to have convenient access to the very special care and support offered at Bobby’s Hope House.

Dr. Nancy Grant

Dr. Grant studied to be a physician at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In the late 1970’s, she returned from Kingston to begin her practice in radiation oncology at the Saint John General Hospital.

Like most dedicated and caring physicians, Dr. Grant hoped to cure all of her patients who had been diagnosed with cancer. After three years working as a Radiation Oncologist, she came to realize that despite her best efforts and the advances of modern medicine, some patients were beyond cure and death was unavoidable.

It was then that Dr. Grant looked for community and hospital support organizations to help her patients and their families cope with dying and loss. What she discovered was that little to no support existed in Saint John to help her patients and their families cope with death and dying.

A visionary, leader in her field and a caring physician, Dr. Grant wanted quality care for her dying patients and comprehensive support for their loved ones, both in the hospital and in the community. She decided to take action.

She took a 1 and ½ year leave of absence from her practice to research and establish a community-based, non-profit organization that would provide quality end-of-life care to people living with a terminal illness and support to their loved ones. As a result of her efforts, Hospice Saint John was developed and incorporated in 1983.

When Dr. Grant realized that professional medical support was necessary to provide comprehensive, specialized care, she worked with the N.B. Health Minister at the time, Charles Gallagher and the Richard Hatfield government to establish Saint John’s first-ever Extra Mural Hospital in 1985. This community palliative care support service had five specialized nurses working with Hospice to relieve suffering and provide comprehensive care and support. Today, palliative care remains an important component of the Extra-Mural Program’s mandate.

Dr. Nancy Grant has worked tirelessly for many years to make her community and her province a better place in which to live. She has made a life-long commitment to provide care and comfort to people who are living with a life threatening illness and to support their loved ones. She has also made significant contributions to her community and province.

• Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s, Dr. Grant has served on numerous local and provincial boards and committees for numerous organizations including: NB Cancer Society, Saint John Human Development Council, NB Competitive Festival of Music, Mount Allison University, Rothesay Regional Fire Commission, KV Recreation Centre, Symphony NB, City of Saint John and Village of Renforth.

• In 1989 Dr. Grant was named the permanent Honourary Chairperson of Hospice Saint John.

• In 2001, she was given the Heart of Hospice Award for her outstanding contributions to Hospice and her leadership in the hospice palliative care movement.

		Dr. Grant was years ahead of her time, a true pioneer in the development of community Hospice in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada in the early 1980’s. She is a compassionate, caring, dedicated physician and community activist who for nearly 25 years has made a significant difference in her community and her province as a volunteer with Hospice. She was instrumental in establishing Bobby’s Hope House in 2006 and today, is leading the development of a Residential Hospice Program. For more information on Residential Hospice, click here. Dr. Nancy Grant is married to Dr. Steven Bryniak and they have two children – Chris and Katie. She is also an accomplished musician and plays the clarinet with Saint Mary’s Band.
To acknowledge her contributions to our society, Dr. Nancy Grant was named a member of the Order of New Brunswick in 2002 and recipients were greeted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during the 2002 Golden Jubilee Tour.

Marilyn Craft

Her birth certificate says she’s in her 70’s. Her spirit, energy and drive is that of someone at least thirty years younger. Marilyn Craft is an exceptional person and one of our community’s most dedicated volunteers. She has been a dedicated Hospice volunteer for over 20 years.

When Dr. Nancy Grant established Hospice in Saint John in 1983 to provide important non-medical support to people living terminal illness and families coping with loss, Marilyn decided to get involved. She joined The Friends of Hospice and has spent two decades working as a member of this ladies auxiliary to make Hospice care available in our community.

A retired schoolteacher and born leader, Marilyn makes things happen. She can usually be found right at the heart of things with her sleeves rolled up and rallying a team to produce extraordinary results. Under her leadership, the net profit of the Annual Hospice Valentine’s Dinner, Dance & Auction has risen by 75% and become one of the social events of the year in Saint John.

As the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Marilyn has assembled an award winning volunteer and staff team. In November 2004 and again in 2005, The Donner Canadian Foundation recognized Hospice’s quality programs and services and excellent non-profit business practices with a National Service to Seniors Award.

Marilyn was given the prestigious Heart of Hospice Award in 2004 to recognize her exemplary leadership and outstanding contributions. Marilyn believes in giving back to her community. She also dedicates her time to delivering Meals on Wheels and is a member of the Run for the Cure Organizing Committee. Her volunteer work touches the lives of thousands of others and in doing so, her life is enriched.

Dr. Chris O’Brien

A native of Saint John, Dr. Chris O’Brien is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick and Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He has been a family physician in Saint John for over 20 years and is married to Sue O’Brien and has two children, Adam and Jill.

Dr. O’Brien became involved in palliative care over 18 years ago and has served as the Medical Director of the Palliative Care Unit at the Saint John Regional Hospital (SJRH) since 1996. "There is tremendous personal satisfaction working in the field of hospice palliative care," says Dr. O'Brien. "You make a difference to others. They feel good and you feel good."

Dr. O'Brien joined the Hospice Saint John Board of Directors in 1998 and in March of 2000, he took on the role of Chairperson of the Hospice Education & Advocacy Committee. This committee was established to lead the advancement of hospice palliative care in Healthcare Region 2 following the release of the Senate Report, “Quality End-of-Life Care: The Right of Every Canadian” in June 2000.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Some see things as they are and say, Why? I dream things that never were and say, Why Not?”

This saying describes Dr. O’Brien’s commitment to the development of hospice palliative care in our community and in our province. As a compassionate and caring physician, he is dedicated to the relief of suffering and knows from personal experience how people and families benefit from the support of an experienced hospice palliative care team.

It is through his vision and passion for quality hospice palliative care that Region 2 now has a Hospice Palliative Care Outreach Service that offers people living at home an opportunity to see an experienced palliative care physician at home or in an ambulatory clinic.

Dr. O’Brien was also instrumental in supporting the establishment Bobby’s Hope House in May 2006, Atlantic Canada’s first stand-alone Hospice House. He is now providing leadership to establish a Residential Hospice Program.

Dr. Chris O'Brien was named Hospice Volunteer of the Year and given The Thomas J. Higgins Award in 2003. In June 2004 he was named permanent Hospice Honourary Medical Director.

Dr. O’Brien has provided extraordinary contributions to the advancement of hospice palliative care locally, regionally and provincially. He is a tremendously dedicated healthcare professional and a valuable Hospice volunteer whose contributions have made a notable, positive impact on thousands of patients/families in our community.

Jim Bowes

Jim Bowes was a very special gift to Hospice and his community. He touched the hearts of many people in his 17 years as a Hospice volunteer.

When Jim first started with Hospice all he felt he could do was to provide drives and deliver laundry and hospital beds. He was sure he couldn’t support people on their emotional journey of facing death and coping with grief. A funny thing happened as Jim drove people to their appointments and delivered their laundry - he talked to them, he heard their stories and he became their trusted friend.

Jim taught us something that he inherently knew – how to find the person inside the disease. It is a legacy he leaves with all of us who had the privilege to know him and work with him. He was a special gift to Hospice, our community and our world. He didn’t consider himself a hero, but he is a hero to Hospice and to the many people he touched. Jim was laid to rest in September 2004 wearing his Hospice Volunteer pin.

Jim Bowes was named Volunteer of the Year in 2001, the first Hospice volunteer to receive this prestigious award. This award, which recognizes exemplary support to dying people and their families under the care of Hospice was renamed in 2005 to honour long-term Jim’s contributions to Hospice and our community.

Sarah Galbraith, granddaughter to Jim Bowes and Betty Bowes, Jim’s widow, present Lucy Poirer with the Jim Bowes Volunteer of the Year Award in 2005.

A Special Tribute to My Papa

April 29, 2005

My name is Sarah Galbraith. I am granddaughter to Jim Bowes, better known as Papa’s Princess. On behalf of my Nana, my mom, dad, my aunt, uncle and cousins, I would like to thank you for this wonderful and such special recognition on behalf of my Papa.

When asked if I would like to accept this honour on behalf of the family I was delighted. My Papa and I had a very special bond. Being the first and only granddaughter, we spent a lot of time together and much of that time included delivering laundry, visiting people and taking people to appointments for Hospice.

As a very little girl, I knew the passion Papa had for helping others. I could see the joy it brought to him. If the phone rang and it was Hospice, he would drop everything and away they we would go. I knew my Papa was special and I knew that he would have done anything for my family or me. We loved spending time together.

When I was a Grade 4 student, I had the opportunity to represent my school in a public speaking event at Simonds High School. As always, Nana and Papa were there to lend their support. I had chosen to speak about Hospice. At the end of my speech, I explained to the audience why I had chosen to talk on such a topic, explaining the connection my Papa and I had and how I knew what a wonderful organization Hospice was.

As Papa stood there with his video camera in hand, I saw the tear in his eye. He was so proud of me. That’s why having the honour of thanking all of you today for this tribute to my Papa Jim Bowes is fitting for me. Because I know that he again is looking down on me with another tear proud as can be.

On behalf of my family, we thank you. Papa, we are so proud. We love and miss you always!!