THUNDER BAY – When her husband Bert was dying in hospital, there were nights when Debbie Maijala curled up in a chair, resting her head on his bed in order to spend as much time with the man she loved before he was gone.
It wasn’t comfortable, but given what Bert was facing, she could hardly complain.
It was after he died when she asked if she might be able to direct some of the donations made on his behalf to purchase a comfortable sleep chair to allow family members and friends to comfortably spend time with their loved ones at St. Joseph’s Care Group.
It worked out so well she wants to help the health-care organization purchase 14 more for Hogarth-Riverview Manor – half of which have already been pledged by Tbaytel, a $25,000 donation.
Through the Sleeper Chair-ity campaign, Maijala hopes to raise an additional $25,000 to cover the cost of the remainder of the chairs.
“There were many evenings and many evenings when I got (to the hospital) and I didn’t have a chair, period,” she said on Wednesday, launching the campaign at the Lillie Street senior's home.
“He would be in a room with four other gentlemen and there would be maybe two chairs in the room. I would spend the afternoon sitting on the end of his bed. On a night that he was having a bad night, I would find a chair and curl up with my head on his bed – and barely could move 12 hours later. I just felt there was such a need.”
Maijala said she cried when the first chair arrived.
“I just fell in love with them. So it’s a passion now for me. We have to have these. We’ve got to have them in everyone’s room so that everyone can be there with their loved one and spend as much time as you choose,” she said.
Hospital CEO Tracy Buckler said the sleeper chairs give a sense of closeness, family and comfort for people while staying at Hogarth-Riverview manor.
The campaign, if successful, would provide two chairs per floor and be useful not only to family and friends of patients undergoing end-of-life care, but also to residents who are just moving into the newly built facility.
“Sometimes when our residents get admitted to their new home they’d like to have some company and they’d like to have some familiarity because it’s a whole new environment for them to live in,” Buckler said.
To help the cause, Tbaytel president Dan Topatigh issued a challenge to other businesses, encouraging them to join the campaign and donate to the cause.
The utility has also helped by providing the technology to make a pledge.
To donate, text CHAIR to 45678 or visit www.sjftb.net.
