Anniversary Events ■ Roger’s House Open House Five-Year Anniversary Edition! (National Palliative Care Week) Tuesday, May 3, 2011 First Parent Retreat Day!! 3:00pm-6:00pm The Palliative Care Family ■ Annual Roger’s House Staff Support Group held its first retreat at Roger’s House on & Volunteer Recognition BBQ th Thursday, May 12, 2011 March 8 . We hope to make it 5:00pm-7:00pm an annual event! RSVP to Diane Lanthier Parents came together to par- ([email protected]) by ticipate in various activities and April 28, 2011 discussions that focused on ■ Family Party for all past and their self-care. We started the present families served by morning with a Mandala work- Roger’s House shop facilitated by a volunteer Sunday, May 15, 2011 artist, had lunch together and 1:00pm-3:00pm then had a group discussion. In the afternoon, volunteers offered massage therapy, reiki RSVP to Nora Ullyot therapy and yoga. ([email protected]) We would like to thank the wonderful volunteers who gave of their time and by April 29, 2011 talents and the parents who took time out of their busy schedules to attend. The next support group sessions, for any parents interested in attending our Palliative Care Family Support Group, are April 19th, May 10th and June 7th. The meet- ings are held from 10am to noon at Roger’s House in the living room. Any parent whose child comes to Roger’s House or is followed by the Palliative Care team is welcome to attend. Please contact Joanne Doucette, Social Worker at Roger’s House, for more information: [email protected] (613) 523-6300 Ext. 622. Thank you Mike Fisher-- Honourary Chair of Roger’s House Everyone at Roger’s House was saddened to hear of Mike Fisher’s trade to the Nashville Predators earlier this year - both as hockey fans and as people who have seen his caring support for the children and families at Roger’s House. Mike truly embodies the spirit of Roger’s House and we would like to thank him for his time and many contributions to Roger’s House since our opening almost five years ago. Since day one, Mike has not only been a strong supporter of the legacy of Roger Neilson, but he has always been responsive to the children and families who have asked to meet him. These personal meetings have meant so much to these families at a time when a little support goes a long way. Mike’s genuine faith, kindness and compassion have left an indelible impression on the families at Roger’s House and we are grateful for his help. He truly has represented Roger’s House and Roger’s memory proudly. On behalf of the staff, volunteers, families and children at Roger’s House, we would like to acknowledge Mike for his support as our Honourary Chair and the many memories he has given to all of us here. While we will miss him in Ottawa, we know that Roger’s House will always have a great friend and supporter in Nashville who is always welcome back! Mike Fisher ROGER’S HOUSE CHRONICLES - SPRING 2011 PAGE 1 Message from the Board - Ian Hendry It seems hard to believe that we’ll be celebrating our 5th birthday at Roger’s House this year. During the past five years we have worked hard to improve the level and scope of service we provide to our guests and their families. We are very fortunate to have had the continued support of the Ottawa Senators Foundation and the Ministries of Health and of Children and Youth Services. These groups have seen firsthand the impact that Roger’s House has on children and youth with life-limiting illnesses. I would encourage everyone to visit our website and view our guest book. There you will see the thoughts and prayers of families we have had the honour to care for. Words and phrases like “compassion”, “quality of care” and “dignity” are used time and time again by our families. This care has been provided throughout the last five years by a terrific team of professionals. They are supported in many ways by a dedicated group of volunteers that truly make the facility a home. Like many Ottawa Senators fans I was sorry to see Mike Fisher move to Nashville. On behalf of the Board of Directors I’d like to thank Mike for all of his generosity and commitment to Roger’s House. We know that although Mike has moved he will continue to support us from afar. Throughout the coming months there will be a series of celebrations to mark our 5th birthday. Thank you again to all of our donors including those who had the vision and philanthropy to make Roger’s House a reality. It is National Volunteer Week April 10th to 16th,2011 On behalf of the children, youth, family members and staff at Roger's House, may I wish all 270 Roger's House volunteers a Happy National Volunteer Week!. Thank you for your Passion, Action and Impact! The engagement that each volunteer demonstrates and shares is vital to the success of the services offered at Roger's House. Lise Beauchemin , Coordinator of Volunteer Services Roy Mlakar - Visionary Leader Roy Mlakar is one of the Honourary Board members of Roger’s House and has played a vital role in bringing the dream of Roger’s House to life. With over 30 years of professional sports experience, 13 of which were spent as the president of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, he has left a legacy that will benefit children for years to come. Roy was a catalyst in the formation of Roger’s House, his passion and dedication played a key role in the conceptualization and fruition of Roger’s House. Having been a close friend of Roger Nielsen’s, Roy spoke with him about the concept of Roger’s House a few days before he passed and got his blessings for this idea. He speaks very highly of Roger regarding his fondness and devotion to children, his strong faith and the remarkable human being that he was. He is proud of the outpouring of community support that made it possible for Roger’s House to be completed in such a short amount of time and of it being, at the time, only the second facility of its kind across Canada. Roy always feels very emotional whenever he walks through the doors at Roger’s House as it is part of Roger Nielsen’s legacy. It combines Roger’s love for children, the life-limiting aspect of his disease and a service that was desperately needed in Ottawa. He believes that the community’s passion for hockey and the players’ passion for Roger Nielsen were strong contributing factors to Roger’s House becoming a reality. Roger’s House would like to take this opportunity to thank Roy for his vision and contribution towards creating Roger’s House. Many families and children have benefited and will continue to benefit from his hard work. Roy currently lives in the United States and splits his time between California and Nevada, where he owns and operates a sports consulting company. Although he does not live in Ottawa anymore, he still feels a strong connection to Roger’s House and remains a passionate supporter of it, which speaks volumes about the exceptional human being that he is. Founding Sponsors ROGER’S HOUSE CHRONICLES - SPRING 2011 PAGE 2 A Message from the Executive Director - Lloyd Cowin Roger’s House has come a long way in five short years! In April 2006 we were busy training newly hired employees about pediatric palliative care, policies and procedures, sorting out roles and responsibilities and preparing for our grand opening. We were also preparing for our first patients that were scheduled to arrive in May. Today, five years later, we have served nearly 200 families and had over 8,000 admissions. Sadly, we have lost 65 children. But they are not forgotten - their stars shine brightly in our play room and the memories among family, friends and Roger’s House staff, physicians and volunteers are strong. We have also had many happy times - parties, special guests (Santa Claus, Senators hockey players, Carrie Underwood, Senator Carstairs, among others) - and above all…… terrific community support. We have had over 650 volunteers, providing 55,339 hours of service during our first five years! And we have had tremendous commitment and dedication from our employees and physicians. We are proud to celebrate 19 employees and physicians who have been with us since we opened. They regularly share their expanding experience with their colleagues, thus creating a wealth of experience from which our service improves and grows. We have been very involved academically as well - publishing several articles, mentoring many students and residents and presenting many workshops and talks at conferences. We look forward to our next five years with enthusiasm and excitement. We hope that our service to families continues to grow. Sens Foundation’s Eighth Annual Roger’s House Telethon raises $601,274!! As a result of the support from the community and corporate partners, the Sens Foundation raised $601,274 during the eighth annual Roger’s House Telethon, presented by CN and held on March 15th, 2011. Monies raised put the Sens Foundation one step closer to meeting their annual commitment to Roger’s House, the region’s only pediatric respite and palliative care centre. This commitment ensures that the facility has the funds necessary to provide children and youth with life-limiting illnesses the best support and care available.