Organizers of the Near North Palliative Care Network’s 11th annual butterfly release, one of its largest fundraisers, found a way to continue the tradition while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions.
The ceremony, which normally draws a large crowd to the North Bay waterfront was live-streamed Saturday from the gardens of St. Joseph’s Motherhouse.
“COVID has changed the whole configuration of the event. Usually, it is in person and that is what makes it so special in allowing people to release those butterflies in honour of loved ones who have passed,” explained palliative care program intern Lane MacDermid.
“We brainstormed ways to do the event and still make it meaningful. So, we decided to live stream the release.”
The butterfly is the symbol for hospice palliative care.
Makayla Nowee NNPCN bereavement program intern explains the butterfly legend.
“As the North American legend goes if anyone desires a wish to come true, they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it," said Nowee.
"Since the butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly cannot reveal the wish to anyone but the great spirit who hears and sees all. In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom the great spirit always grants the wish. So according to the legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.”
In an average year, as many as one thousand butterflies are purchased by individuals and released at the waterfront, but this year organizers had to go with a scaled-down version.
“This year we tried to make it as clear as possible that donations were not to reserve individual butterflies. We were asking for any donation someone was willing to make to us and we would release 300 butterflies on the day of the event. Any more would be too difficult to coordinate,” MacDermid explained.
Close to $10,000 in donations has been collected to date, with more being accepted.
“We’ll see how it rolls out because there is a lot of exposure through YouTube, through Facebook, through live streaming. Plus, most of those formats have it so people can play it back and forward it to friends and relatives,” explained NNPCN board chair Darren Renaud who explained that links would be made available on the organizations website.
Last year the Near North Palliative Care Network provided respite care, companionship and emotional support to nearly 160 families in the North Bay-Parry Sound district.
“A lot of people want to have their final days at home, so the importance of our services as a visiting hospice is to allow people to have their final wishes granted by staying at home, and us giving them the support that they need,” explained Nowee.
“I coordinate the bereavement services. We provide services for the palliative families who have lost a loved one, but also anyone in the community who needs grief support as well.”
Support is available no matter how long ago the loved one passed.
“People can self-refer. We do get referrals from health care professionals, but usually, people just call our office and can fill out an intake form with us. Or if they are more comfortable, they can go on-line to our website and fill out the client intake forms themselves, and we’ll contact them from there.”
Following strict government guidelines for COVID, home visits have been temporarily put on hold.
“We’ve gone to phone support, to the client themselves or maybe their caregiver to discuss the difficult situation they are going through,” explained MacDermid.
Virtual visits are another option.
“It is complicated. We are doing a lot of virtual stuff and there are big challenges for some of our palliative patients who aren’t technology savvy and so they need help within their home to be able to do a virtual session. We’re adapting. Everybody is adapting,” said Renaud, the board chair.
“The complexities are increasing for what we are dealing with. Those kinds of shifts and changes mean we are charting new territory. We haven’t had to deal with that before. The need hasn’t changed, the method of delivery has, and how we adapt, how we change, how we make the situation work. The phrase I use is the unwritten motto of palliative care worldwide which is nobody deserves to die alone.”
During these difficult times we’re now living in, families going through the stages of grief and bereavement are often doing it without the usual gatherings.
“The fact is you haven’t had the closure that you would normally have because in a lot of cases the loved ones haven’t been able to gather to mourn the loss. And so, they have lost that connection,” said Renaud.
Continuing with the traditions of past years, the butterfly release ceremony featured guest speakers, readings, a bagpiper and this year, a special tribute to a long-time volunteer with the palliative team who is moving to another city.
Rose Joly has logged just over 7500 volunteer hours over the course of eight years, providing respite and emotional support to caregivers and their loved one.
“This is hard. I have tears already. I loved doing it,” said an emotional Joly.
”I was a nurse for 49 years and my last 10 years working was in palliative care. When I go into the homes, I bring them jams and jellies and bread for a little bit of comfort. Even after the loved one passes, they’re part of my family now.”
Joly has witnessed how respite care, emotional support and grief and bereavement programs have made a world of difference not only to people in their final stage of life but also to those who are left behind to mourn.
She offers up two words of advice to anyone contemplating becoming a volunteer.
“Do it,” said Joly.
“It is the most rewarding thing that you can do. I have been in homes where the husband or wife or family member has not slept for days. When they can go to bed and not have to worry about anything, not have to get up for anything because I am sitting there with their loved one, you can see the peace that comes over their face.”
The organization is always looking for volunteers and will provide the necessary training.
“When I look at the age and demographics of our volunteers most are retired and we don’t have the youth volunteers coming up that we really need to sustain. So, we need to change that marketing. We need to change that demand and to show that the younger people, the 20’s, the 30’s, the 40’s that there is value in it.”
To find out how to donate or become a volunteer, call 705-497-9239 in North Bay or 705-753-3110 Ext 339 in West Nipissing.
“We trust that our government, our funding bodies, our charitable donors realize that the need for our service is increasing, not decreasing,” said the board chair.
