Quiet rockband night. oxymoron?

Hello everyone,

so last shift (April 10) it was Jen, Martin, and I who were the volunteers (Tony called Martin in because he was spending time with his family.) The green light was turned on. We went in and saw this HUGE feast laid out in front of us, especially prepared by the kitchen, because the hospice was expecting lots of people that night. Unfortunately, only half the expected people showed up in time for dinner, so there was lots of left over. There was even an easter bunny chocolate cake and tiramisu! I couldn't resist but have a bit of cake.

Kids in the house who we got to see - Kameron, Shawn, Christina, and little Gordon.
Christina's hair is getting so long now! That night she had it in a very looong pretty braid. And her nails are never without colour - she had pink nail polish on. =D

Little Gordon is so cute; he has a pacifier that hangs down from his bib with lots of wooden beads on it. If the pacifier drops out of his mouth, he will start to nibble on his own fingers instead!

So anyways, the main highlight of the night was rockband! (Malcolm you missed out. :P)It was Shawn on bass, and me or Jen on the guitar, voice, or drums (yes drums! they got new ones!)Even Martin joined in on the guitar and drums a few times. All throughout it, little Gordon was moving back and forth in his chair to the beat of the music with his hands sticking up in the air. Kameron was content with just listening to his iPod at a volume that I was a bit worried about. While it was still bright, we also took the boys for a little stroll around the hospice.

So you might be wondering why I haven't talked about who Kameron and Shawn are, but it's because I'm saving it until now. Throughout the night, us volunteers chatted with them in between songs, and we discovered that both boys are 18 years old. To Jen and Martin, this might not mean so much ;), but to me, it was quite something. One thing is that, them being 18, they are nearing the end of their visits to Canuck Place. The biggest thing is that they are the same age as me. Throughout the night, I couldn't help but imagine what they would be like if they don't have their illnesses and disabilities, and I also came to really admire the way they acted. Especially Shawn, he is so much more mature than most 18 year-old boys that I know. And Kameron, bless his heart, never gets tired of repeating his words until we understand and perseveres to control his own power chair even while he has some difficulty. Hanging out with these two boys was a reality check for me to be grateful for what I have and not take things for granted.

And the night ended quietly, with the boys staying downstairs with the nurses to keep the 2nd floor quiet for the very sick baby and his family.
The green light was turned off by the time us volunteers left for home.