Last Sunday, July 10th, at Centennial Park in the City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, the Teresa Palliative Care Residence celebrated its 5th Annual Butterfly Release in person. The event not only spread awareness within the community on the importance of palliative care but also raised $16,000 this year, adding up to a total of more than $50,000 from the past five years.
Over 600 butterflies, symbolizing change, hope, and life were released as digital butterflies in memory or in honor of loved ones and are sent to the participants according to the tradition of the annual event. All proceeds will benefit patients of Teresa Palliative Care and their families at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Founded in 2002, throughout the past 20 years, the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence is the first facility of its kind on the island of Montreal that has provided help to more than 5,000 people and their families.
The non-profit organization offers medical and social support all free of charge from physicians care, to art and music therapy, services respecting the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual needs of the patients and their families are offered at the Residence.
“Our priority is to relieve suffering, address expectations and heighten the quality of life [...] allow the natural process of death to occur in its own time and seeks to make this period as comfortable as possible for our patients and their loved ones”, stated the Residence.
Here is a highlight video from the event.
After two years of not being able to celebrate this event in person due to COVID restrictions, Dale Weil, the executive director of the residence remarks on this wonderful opportunity:
“The last two years we actually celebrated in the backyard of the Residence which in and of itself was somewhat intimate and had some nice elements [...] But I must say this is an event that needs to be inclusive. We come together for comfort and to be together as we are thinking of our loved ones”.
The mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Alex Bottausci, further extends his welcome and recognizes the efforts of the organization in his speech as he states “[The palliative care is] one of those institutions that you wish you didn’t need but you pray that u have one, on the greater territory of the West Island when you need it”.
Left to right: Maya Johnson, Pat Empsall, Jessica Newey, Alex Bottausci, Dale Weil, Gavin Fernandes
Thank you to Pat Empsall and her team for the thoughtful coordination and planning of this event, as well as to the 3 West Island IGA stores for the amazing platters of goodies. Visit https://residencesoinspalliatifs.ca/en/ for more information on the Residence’s efforts and missions.
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