“Hope was my greatest teacher, she’s made me who I am today and she’s a big reason why I am on the Board of Directors at SaskAbilities. The legacy gift I am leaving Easter Seals™ Saskatchewan and SaskAbilities with my life insurance policy is just another way Hope is working through me. This is her legacy too.”
Fifteen years ago, I decided I would donate half of my life insurance policy I took out in my mid-twenties to Easter Seals™ Saskatchewan and SaskAbilities. This was a very easy decision for me to make. I feel for me, it’s so important to leave some kind of legacy in life and what better way than a financial gift to a charity that has made such an impact on my life and the life of my family.
I began working for SaskAbilities in the fundraising department at the Regina Branch organizing the 24-Hour Relay event in the 1990s. I had two young daughters at the time, Erin and Hope. My daughter Hope was asphyxiated at birth, resulting in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She was in a wheelchair and was very medically involved, having a seizure disorder and at the age of seven had to get a feeding tube and a tracheotomy. Despite working for SaskAbilities, I had some fear and hesitation in sending Hope to Camp Easter Seal. Eventually, after being called out by the Regional Director of the Saskatoon Branch for being a hypocrite, and rightfully so, we decided to send Hope to Camp along with her caregiver Sherri.
Sending Hope to Camp was one of the best decisions we made for her and our family. She had so many experiences there she wouldn’t have had otherwise. We’d often hear from Sherri that Hope would fall asleep with a smile on her face every night while at Camp. Hope just really loved being there. The staff became like an extended family to us, they were all so amazing to her. As a parent, one of the most important things that I observed at Camp was every single staff member saw Hope as a child first, not as a child with disabilities. That is how I saw my daughter and for others to see her the same way really profoundly touched my heart.
My daughter passed away in 2006 at the age of twenty-one. Hope wasn’t supposed to live past the age of two and we had nineteen extra years with her. We continue to honour and celebrate Hope through her heavenly birthday parties where we also raise funds for Camp Easter Seal. Hope was my greatest teacher, she’s made me who I am today, and she’s a big reason why I am on the Board of Directors at SaskAbilities. The legacy gift I am leaving Easter Seals™ Saskatchewan and SaskAbilities with my life insurance policy is just another way Hope is working through me. This is her legacy too.
I have spent a very rewarding career in the non-profit world, working for different charities including SaskAbilities. There are a lot of great organizations out there doing good work but SaskAbilities will always be my number one charity of choice, and it has been for over thirty years. Giving back is an important tenet of our family. I have instilled that in my daughter, Erin, and I see how it has shaped our family in positive ways. In my fundraising days I would always tell people that any donation amount makes a difference because it does. Whether it is one dollar, ten dollars, or ten thousand dollars, people can be assured their money is going to make a positive impact.
Through the financial gift I am leaving, I want to contribute to the legacy of Camp where children, youth, and adults experiencing disability in Saskatchewan have access to a safe environment, where they can forget their challenges and can play games or do activities that others get to do. The activities Hope did at Camp like horseback riding and going for boat rides were the closest she came to experiencing normal children’s activities. Everyone deserves those experiences. The memories of Hope at Camp are some of my most cherished memories because I know she was in her absolute glory.
For anyone who is considering becoming a legacy donor, please know the impact you are making is profound and far-reaching in our community. You are ensuring that individuals, like my daughter Hope, experience a level of freedom not provided to them in their everyday lives. You are providing access to life-changing programs and services that are not otherwise available in the province. Your financial gift, no matter the size, will greatly impact the lives of individuals experiencing disability in the province and their families in ways you cannot imagine, and I thank you for that.