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4 economist suntmbune saturday nov 13 1999 n 1 evergreen hospice support group helps clients facing death 1 by mike abler staff writer om is a tall tough cop near the end of the una sitting on asofa in the friendship room a scottish cane hes proud of hooked over ah armrest tom is telling hal brooks about old times the day red ryan came through markham and gunned down two men it happened because ryan stole a load of tires he says the gas station owner chased the gangster up to vinegar hill and ryan shot the man and his son while still on their cars runningboards right after they turned off the ignition eddied right away and his son jim died about three or four years after tom recounts on wednesdays the friendship room in the basement of st andrews united church becomes die club as clients of evergreen hospice call it the place where a few of them can get away from their illness and can enjoy a social life there are a lot of sick people around so hos pitals oughttb recom- mend the club to them tohi says should be volunteer marina abjgerclubthanwhat oup for lunchv an excop war vet and explant protec tion officer for general motbrs tom has leukemia and lung cancer he wants to keep his mind active but his eyesights gone bad tom likes talking to brooks hes an ex- cop too a retired rcmp officer from marldiam so he understands arid coming to the club is better man sitting in a chair at home you gotta get out or you go bonkers tom says you get depressed sitting asa support group the hospice day pro- gram is positive not teary says sheila kevins the nurse who supervises it we dont focus on the illness f instead the volunteers see a person with needs like mary at me craft table working withher hands its her fourthtime here she says and each time shes done something last month it was a halloween ghost hold- ing a basket of candy the time before a thanksgiving centrepiece her grandchildren took home from me cottage its a chance to get out and meet some jiew people she says each week volunteer hazel jackson comes up with a new craft idea haunts the local white rose arid gets all parts ready ifpi cuentstoputtogemerioearnupthese v things and convince them that everybody can do it and they do she says tom doesnt dp the crafts hed rather talk about oldtime crooks like the boyd gang the jackson brothers the town bums in the old- markham lockup hell tell you about me big bootleggers in oshawa or the time he caught a bunch of the rough guys there tam pering with a car then chased one when he fled and put a bullet in his leg i shot the back ofhisheel heremernbersjust whoowned what on r markhams main street old country songs and the first poem he ever learned at age six in- school im lucky i can remember tom says eightyeight comin up hell be married 60 years this april one of his grahdkidsis going to police college ive enjoyed life he says firmly from the sofa v so has reg a hospice client known as mac to everyone who worked with him that includes members of the group of seven mac once travelled canada coast to coast pamtmg landscapes he often went but t painting with lawren harris and ay jackson arid ran lantern glides for arthur lismers lectures on art my only regret is that i cant dpmpre v than im doing he says aftefa lunch of parry serves carrot above evergreen hospice client tom spends time with nurse sheila kevins who supervises a support program right volunteer hazel jackson who organizes craft activ ities at tke hospice tomato rice soup ham and cheese sand- wiches and the everpresent music of haygpod hardy v portions are smau says volunteer marina p of finishing we dont ply them with a plate theyd finish at age 14 x away from the usual setting parry believes their appetites are encouraged starting with coffee arid muffins in the morning the smell pervades the church as they come through it and it helps the appetite xast morithythe day prograrri was riariied for katmeen marquette mullm who in 1944 joined the nursing staff of our lady of mercy hospital now part of st josephs health centre in toronto itwas the local place for mcnirablesthey always said when you went into mat hospital you came but on a slab says don ferguson mullinssoninlawand past president of the hospice- for a short ceremony me friendship roprn he has brought along her graduation photo taken in 1916 in it muuihis standing by a pedestalearing a nurses cpnicalhat and white dressholdmg a prayerbppk shewas dedicated to ministering to those who werestaring death in the face ferguson says mullin knew in her heart she xouldnt cure he adds arid she didnthave the 1 equip ment as we have now to keep her patients relatively painfree she could only make their lives more joyous vi one patient a dedicated stariip collector lived inside an iron lung for almost five iyears muffin broughthuh stamps frprn for eign landsi x today people are living longer with can cer but thefr personal care has not kept up with teclmology theyre living comprp- mised lives argues esther mitchelldirector of evergreen hospice galled hospice markham stoiifiyille until last year the day program was started last year to help not just hospice cfients but also their caregivers she says often exhausted care- giyers can use the time each week to shop cbokbrtalreariap- j v june collins was given the taskof organiz ing the programs firet meals and yoluriteers t have just iriet spine wonderful people who have really left anitiiprint on my lifeas fam- uiesdoshesaysu- i see loss page 15 we have only onepair of eyes that must last us our entire lueurne 2 goggles these lobk like oyersized oyer use appropriate safety eyewear both at work and af home so as to prescription glasses for protection against flying patticles dust or liquid splashes protectthem 3 face shieldslcan be vbrn byerregular or safety glasses they protect your 1 safety lenses for eyeglasses these are made of gls plastic or veyandfacenvsm fly polycaoriate they are jlea3mn wtmfsheirn dr hafiz h walji hohsbonos 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