You are never too old to become younger so come and dream with us.
Here are some dreams we’ve granted!
Eleanor London, ON
The first dream granted by the Dream On foundation was a very special one. On May 8, 2013, the foundation sent Eleanor, a 92 year old woman living in London, Ontario to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by train. It was Eleanor’s dream to visit her last remaining sibling and the province she was born and raised in one last time. Eleanor never thought she would return to Nova Scotia because her health had been deteriorating for a number of years. Eleanor’s late husband used to work for Via Rail so not only was her ticket given to her by Via Rail, the journey to Halifax felt extra special for Eleanor.
Gary & Jen Nanaimo, BC
Gary and Jen are a loving, compassionate couple who had recently retired when Jen suffered a major stroke. They had just made a significant investment remodeling their home on Vancouver Island, but after the stroke Jen had no choice but to move into a nursing home to receive the care she needed. Although they were still very much in love, unfortunate legal circumstances forced Gary to legally separate from Jen in order to keep the home they’d built together. Since Jen moved into the nursing home, Gary has been to visit her every day.
Before the stroke, the couple would do date nights every week at their favorite restaurant so the Dream On Foundation decided to give Jen and Gary an evening they’d never forget. They hired professionals to do Jen’s hair and make up for the big night out and bought her flowers. Dinner was pre-paid and transportation was arranged to and from the restaurant. They enjoyed a rare night out with no caregivers or medical equipment. It was just the two of them.
The couple has since pledged to continue their regular date nights in the nursing home. They’ve even discussed renewing their wedding vows as a symbol of their continued commitment to each other.
Adrienne Mississauga, ON
Adrienne from Mississauga, loves all things Disney and had a lifelong dream of visiting Disneyland. She has had MS for over a decade and in June was scheduled to travel to Los Angeles for MS treatments. Adrienne was very nervous for the treatments and her family was worried that she might back out at the last minute. This gave her caregiver an idea; she submitted Adrienne’s dream to the Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation. The foundation made arrangements for Adrienne and a nurse to visit Disneyland the day before Adrienne’s medical treatment. In the weeks leading up, her entire attitude changed about her treatment and the entire experience was made into a positive one.
Rose Nanaimo, BC
Rose loves to swim more than anything in the world. She started swimming when she was 5 years old and has fond memories of her mother teaching her and her siblings to swim when they were young. She spent countless summers swimming outdoors in BC’s beautiful lakes, but when she suffered a stroke at the age of 58, the loss of strength and mobility kept her out of the water. With the help of the Dream On Foundation, Rose’s dream to swim again is becoming a reality with regular visits to the local pool with her caregiver Melissa. She is regaining her strength with each session and more importantly, has a big smile on her face while she’s doing it.
Jack is an older gentleman who lives in a nursing home in Nanaimo, BC. He had a successful career as a psychologist and now suffers from severe osteoporosis and has a hard time getting around on his own. Jack is also a huge Michael Jackson fan. When his caregiver, Jodi, from Nurse Next Door found out that a Michael Jackson impersonator was coming to town, she immediately thought of Jack. She planned to do whatever it took to get him there, even if it meant paying for the tickets out of her own pocket.
When the Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation caught wind of her plan, they agreed to help to make Jack’s evening out a truly unforgettable one. The foundation paid for Jack and Jodi to enjoy a fabulous evening out including door to door transportation by limo and dinner for two before heading to the concert.
Gary Vancouver, BC
Gary Barclay has had a love for Jazz for as long as he could remember. At the age of 18 his love for Jazz and interest in broadcast came together and he began interviewing Jazz musicians that were touring through Vancouver, British Columbia. Gary had the opportunity to meet and interview hundreds of artists over his career and still has analogue copies of all the recordings. Unfortunately, those recordings will start to deteriorate over time in their original form, so in order to save them they needed to be transferred to digital. That’s where the Dream On Foundation came in. Gary was provided with all the necessary equipment to transfer the recordings, preserve his life’s work, and share it with the world.
Sue & Stan North Shore, BC
Stan and Sue have been together for ages, and Stan was starting to show signs of an early onset of dementia. Before it progressed any further, they wanted a special, memorable trip that may (but hopefully not) be their last.
The Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation got in touch with Harbour Air and the Empress Hotel. Stan and Sue were flown by seaplane to Victoria. The flight was smooth, and the weather was sunny. They made their way to the Empress Hotel for afternoon tea. Sue was overwhelmed with the entire trip – the tea was delicious and served by very friendly staff.
“We both had a marvelous day and I’m sure it is something that we’ll remember for a long time.” – Sue and Stan (Dreamers)
