Telling stories helps students and patients
Spectator photo: Elise Parsons reads her essay. Students from Adelaide Hoodless Public School interviewed patients at St. Peter’s Hospital and from their notes, the student wrote essays about what they learned.
By Joel Ophardt, Hamilton Spectator
When Lorna Rowell had a stroke in November, it stole a small piece of her youth.
Having stayed at St. Peter’s for more than three months, living in a hospital tends to “take away some of that youthful energy from your life,” said Rowell, 57, a former fire safety officer who enjoyed talking to children.
But when Grade 7 and 8 Adelaide Hoodless elementary students from across the street came to interview her and 33 other patients for a biographical essay competition, she felt “re-energized by their youthfulness.”
In mid-January, about 75 students from the east Hamilton school were partnered with patients and instructed to write an essay reflecting on their conversations. Ten finalists were chosen to present those essays to the patients and classmates Tuesday afternoon.
“A lot of our patients have either outlived family or are geographically not close to family,” said Heather Scott, development director of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. “When you are in a hospital for an extended period, sometimes you wonder what your value is in society.”
This connecting generations program, in its third year, provides both an avenue for patients to feel valued, and for students to learn valuable lessons from those who struggle with illnesses the students may never have previously encountered.
Rowell said she hoped she was able to impart a sense, “that no matter what happens to someone there is a chance to recover.
“You just have to persevere.”
Lewis Marsman was first up to read his essay and turned out to be the eventual winner of the contest.
One of the 10 finalists, Desiree Larsen, had the opportunity to get to know an older man who just had a stroke — a few weeks later Larsen’s own mother had a stroke as well.
“He taught me that even when something awful like that happens, you can still be happy,” said Larsen.
Adelaide Hoodless Principal Nanci Simpson, said the program has immense value for children.
Besides the weeks of lessons on proper essay writing, Simpson says children — at this age — typically don’t think outside of their own perspective of life.
“I think this really makes them feel like they are contributing — it makes them feel like a part of the larger community.”
Updated on Monday, February 29, 2016.