Eleanor (Lisa’s mom) often talked about Valour Place, to her friends and family about Martin, the staff and Volunteers. She would brag how clean everything was and how she felt better than staying at a hotel, “no germs” she used to say.  In that way, it was like her home, very clean and tidy. She couldn’t believe what Valour Place could offer - from the dream kitchen to the cleanliness of the building, these two things were very important and high on her list of requirements. She would cook often when she was feeling better, often leaving lots of leftovers for everyone.

 

While we stayed there, we met several other families, some stayed for a short time and other stayed for many weeks, we met a couple of families that will forever be in our lives. We became close family due to our stay at Valour;  not to mention Martin  - he always greeted us, always asked how we were doing and how our day was going.  Valour Place provided us with a wheel chair to transport Mom back and forth as walking played her out, we would also use it to take mom shopping. Without this, we would have been stuck in our room.

 

Valour Place has been a God send, a haven, a home and such a great comfort to us and mom. We had stayed at Valour Place for many weeks off and on from March 2015 to September 2015 while mom was undergoing Radiation and Chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer. Being able to stay someplace safe and so close to the Cross Cancer Institute saved us so much travel back and forth to Cold Lake that would have weakened mom beyond a point where we believe she may not have been able to complete her treatments. To be honest, financially, if we had to stay in a hotel during this time we would have been bankrupt, there is no way we could have afforded paying $100 a night for 3 weeks in April and 3 months of May, June and July plus all of the single days for different tests and 2 more weeks in September for the Radiation treatment to her brain to stop the cancer from migrating there.  That adds up to $2100 for the first round and Chemo not including meals, another $9000 for May, June and July and another $1400 in September. We consider ourselves to be savers, but we don’t have that kind of money saved up, very few people do. 

 

We can’t say enough good things about Valour Place.  Staying here gave us the opportunity to try and fight the cancer, it took so many other worries we had away knowing that we had a place to stay, it gave mom the privacy she needed when she wasn’t reacting well to the Chemotherapy and a place to socialize with other people who were going through distressing experiences with their families. Sharing those difficult times with others made us stronger and more compassionate and I think better people.  It gave us a fighting chance and it gave us and our children and grandchildren a chance for one more year with their mom, grandma, great-grandma, to get to know her, learn from her and truly appreciate the meaning of family....   For that we are forever grateful. 

 

We have since lost mom to her fight with cancer, but she was so impressed by the help that Valour Place provided. 

 

Final thought from Lisa - Last year, while we were staying at Valour Place, MATTRAD held their Fundraiser here, just outside by the parking lot.  It  made a huge impact on me, I now try to Volunteer every chance I get as knowing that I can help just a little, to make someone else’s day a bit better.

 

Thank you.