Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Nurses make a big impact in our lives during some of our most vulnerable moments. They walk alongside parents through moments of uncertainty, grief, joy, and love. They comfort children through play and humour, and they create space for families to rest. The smallest gestures become our greatest memories. As we mark the end of National Nursing Week, Canuck Place nurse Laura Wallbridge reflects on what nursing has taught her about presence, humanity, and the privilege of being trusted with people’s most vulnerable moments. Click the link and have a read in our Life is Short newsletter. https://lnkd.in/gktMw2VJ

Canuck Place registered nurse and Clinical Nurse Leader Laura Wallbridge’s 20-year career has been shaped by all the children and families she’s cared for. She understands how important it is for medical professionals to listen to and advocate for them through every step of their journey. This National Nursing Week, Laura reflects on the shared impact of nursing, the importance of creating space for families to feel heard, and why the stories nurses witness continue to shape them. Click the link to read Laura’s story and the reflections that continue to guide her work in pediatric palliative care. #CanuckPlace #NationalNursingWeek #FiniteDaysInfiniteLove

Nurses in pediatric palliative care are advocates, comforters, playmates, witnesses and support systems for children and families navigating some of life's most difficult moments. It's an honour to hear from these amazing nurses around the world about what it means to walk alongside children with compassion and love. Thank you Sunflower Children’s Network, Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration, International Children's Palliative Care Network, and St Christopher's Global palliative nursing network for creating space for them to share their voices and experiences. https://lnkd.in/guKyjXHt #NationalNursingWeek #PediatricPalliativeCare

Congratulations Caitlin Jung, Canuck Place Director, Development for a decade of service. Ten years is a meaningful milestone, especially when it’s spent building something that helps others feel supported when they need it most. Caitlin’s work has helped grow a community of care around children with complex medical needs and the families who love them. Thank you for the commitment, thoughtfulness, and leadership you bring to this work. #EmployeeAppreciation #WorkAnniversary

We are incredibly grateful for the heartfelt support of OpenRoad Foundation and Porsche Centre Langley! Their generous gift of $25,000 brings comfort, care, and hope to children with life-limiting illnesses, and the families who love them. Together, we create space for connection, healing, and the moments that matter most.

Canuck Place nurses share expertise, love, compassion, joy and so much more in their work every day. Their curiosity, creativity, and sense of humour shapes the way they show up, and advocate, and care for children and families. This National Nursing Week, we recognize and celebrate nurses for the transformative care and the profound impact they make when it matters most. #NursesWeek

To be a mother is to love in ways that don’t end—with presence, memory, tradition, and with compassion. This Mothers Day, we honour that love. This Mother’s Day, you can give to Canuck Place to help create more lasting memories for moms like Ashley. Thanks to Headlands Environmental, all donations will be matched up to $20,000 until May 31. https://bit.ly/4eTEGt1 #MothersDay

Mother’s Day can hold many emotions—celebration, reflection, and remembrance, sometimes all at once. We’re celebrating mothers and the way their love shapes us throughout this month with Headlands Environmental as our Mother's Day matching partner. Thanks to their generosity, your gifts will be matched this May, doubling your impact for Canuck Place families. Click the link to read more from Mike Hofer, Principal, Headlands Environmental Services about their commitment to making a difference in their community, and join them in making every moment count. #MothersDay #CommunitySupport

Last Wednesday we gathered with our community for a panel on grief, compassion, community, and what it means to support someone through loss by being present. Dr. Jared Rubenstein, Canuck Place Medical Director, reflected on the role of communication, presence, and person-centred care in supporting children and families, in his opening speech. In the panel discussion, Canuck Place dad Fed Angel spoke about the loss of his son Alejo, and reminded us we don’t need to fix people’s grief with perfect words. We just need to listen, ask about their children, and show up for them so they know they’re not alone. Canuck Place registered nurse Rachel N., who supported the Angel family when Alejo died, shared how it’s often the smallest gestures that matter most when navigating grief. Linda Wollschlaeger-Fischer, Manager, Counselling Services spoke to the meaning of holding space for our loved ones in their most difficult moments, meeting them with compassion, honesty, and presence. Thank you Jennifer Palma for moderating the discussion, and our panellists and guests for holding this space with us.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Merry Kalingel Levi to the Canuck Place Children's Hospice Research Initiative team. Dr. Merry is beginning her postdoctoral work in research that focuses on understanding and improving the recognition and interpretation of distress in children with severe neurological impairment, particularly when communication is limited or absent. Her work takes a context-sensitive approach, examining how environmental factors, personal characteristics, and daily routines interact to shape observable expressions of distress. She is particularly interested in developing clinically meaningful, practical tools that support healthcare providers and families in making informed and compassionate decisions in complex care situations. Dr. Kalingel Levi’s broader research interests include pain and distress in populations with communication challenges, and integrating qualitative and observational methods to inform person-centred care.