By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

You wouldn’t expect people facing inevitable death to be happy, but when you walk the halls of Wakefield’s palliative care home, that’s what you generally find. 

The employees at La Maison des Collines – compassionate nurses, volunteers and pain management doctors – do everything they can to make life as comfortable as possible for the six residents who stay there. More than 400 residents have spent “the last moments of their lives” at the home, surrounded by friends, family, volunteers, nurses and doctors who help them through the dying process. 

Chelsea resident Carrie Wallace’s mother, Mary Colleen Colligan, died Nov. 7 after a long battle with cancer and spent her final six weeks at La Maison. Wallace told the Low Down that it was “incredible” to see her mom’s fears and worries melt away when she arrived at the palliative care home. 

“My mom spent her last six weeks at La Maison, and honestly, it was incredible to see how much joy and grace she displayed during that time,” said Wallace. “The worries and fears of being sick at home just seemed to fade away, and she blossomed into a funny, confident and deeply grateful version of herself. The transformation was amazing. The thing that is really remarkable is that, despite the stress of a terminal diagnosis, she was genuinely at her happiest during her time there.”

While Wallace called the six weeks her mother stayed at La Maison “incredibly magical,” she also said they were the most “painful and difficult six weeks of my life.”

“Losing my mother was and continues to be shockingly devastating,” said Wallace. “I can’t begin to imagine what it would’ve been like without La Maison.”

Wallace said the home took much of the worry away from her family – the fear of not being able to help if her mom needed medical intervention, the fear that she could be in chronic pain or the fear of dying. But Wallace said, ever since her mom was moved to La Maison des Collines, her spark returned, and the two could bond again.

“It gave us quality time that we never would have had. And it just created this space for something really deep – just deep connections. It wasn’t even philosophical; it just became this very gentle kind of real place where we could be together moment to moment,” said Wallace. She added that the staff and volunteers make La Maison des Collines “off the charts of amazing.”

In her eulogy, Wallace spoke of how Dr. David Ian Gold brought her mom’s smile back – a smile that would remain until her final breath. 

“While he couldn’t cure her, he did save her life,” wrote Wallace. “His attentive care brought her immediate relief, and, from that moment on, she smiled constantly and never really stopped.”

Wallace’s story is but one tale of a transformation, but staff at the home talk about this daily; how many patients come in feeling anxious or fearful, only to find love, support and acceptance once they settle in. 

“Our mission is comfort and dignity, so we take care of the patient from A to Z,” said Executive-director Logan Vaillant. “Anything they need, so when family and friends come to visit, all they have to do is spend time together. And on good days, it smells like bacon,” he joked.

Every room has a view, its own television and private washroom. 

For employees, it can be a bittersweet job, as many nurses and volunteers make real connections with the residents – all while knowing that death is imminent. For nurse Julie Demers, she said the heartbreak and loving moments are all worth it.

“There is so much that I can give in helping in their final days that, when they finally leave, all of that richness that has helped them is very rewarding,” she said. She added, however, “There are some cases that are more difficult.”

The Low Down toured the home in early November with board members Caryl Green and Michael Geisterfer, who are campaigning this month to raise more money for the home. La Maison des Collines’ operating budget is $1.3 million, and just over half of that – around 55 per cent – is covered by provincial and municipal grants. The rest – close to $500,000 each year – is needed to keep the facility up and running. 

Fundraisers like the annual golf tournament and the Wall of Hearts donations keep the organization afloat, but Green told the Low Down that it needs more baseline funding – recurrent donations – to keep operating at the level it has been. 

“We need to expand our reach because many of our patients are now coming from Aylmer or Gatineau, and our funding really only comes from the des Collines region,” said Green. “So we will be expanding our ask to the City of Gatineau and into the Pontiac MRC.”

Green said board members are also encouraging donors to think about other ways of donating to the home, like putting money from wills or estate sales towards the future of Wakefield’s palliative care home.  It costs La Maison des Collines $600 per patient per day to operate its facility or $150,000 on average per year per bed, and it receives $110,000 from the province. Green said Quebec’s palliative care association, Alliance des Soins Palliatifs du Québec, is lobbying for an annual increase per bed and is currently in negotiations. 

Visit www.lamaisondescollines.org to donate, support or sign up for volunteering.