Tragedy and loss are the great equalizers. None of us are immune. If you are reading this, then chances are you have experienced the pain of losing a loved one as well. This pain is magnified many times over when a child passes away at a very young age.
In this blog post, I want to introduce you to a little girl called Maddy. Through the eyes of her family and friends, I believe this little one will touch your heart. Although I never knew Maddy personally, it is evident that her life made an impact on those she knew and loved.
Please read this post carefully, and consider supporting this great cause. Thanks to my clients and friends Heather & Fabien Cauley and Mike Courneya, owners of Bronson Johnson Seamless Eavestroughs for allowing me the privilege of participating in this endeavour. To Dean & Jeanine (Maddy’s mom & dad) and Hannah (Maddy’s sister), thank you for the honour of highlighting Maddy’s story.
I turn the rest of this post over to Heather, and Maddy’s family.
Eric Deschamps, Business Coach & Advisor – Ottawa
In Memory of Maddy…
Madison Karolina Otto was an energetic, happy and incredibly loved little girl when she passed away suddenly at the age of 5 from a brain tumour her family didn’t even know she had. The last hours of Maddy’s short life were spent at Roger’s House, a paediatric palliative care facility on the grounds of CHEO, where she was surrounded by family and friends. The following is a letter written by Maddy’s family in her honour:
“This is the story of a little girl, a superhero, an angel, and her name is Madison Karolina Otto. Madison was the most spirited little girl anyone could ever meet. She was both full of life and lived life to the fullest for her short 5 years. You would often see her dressing up in costumes, Spiderman, Woody and her favourite… Batman, and let me tell you, she thought she WAS batman in that costume!!
Maddy loved her family and friends so much and you could always count on a smile and some funny little comment to cheer you up whenever she was around! She commanded attention and was always the star of the show. Life is just not the same without her
In 2007, Maddy was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour on the brainstem. She went from being a perfectly normal 5-year old on Sunday, July 15th to one of God’s angels two days later. Our family was blessed to have received the support of Roger’s House and to have benefited from their services.
During Maddy’s final days, we were welcomed into a family suite at Roger’s House, which offers the comforts of “home away from home” where we hosted a number of family members along with our closest friends. To have spent those last cherished moments with Maddy surrounded with so much love and support provided comfort to our family. We have also since learned how to cope with our tremendous loss by attending grief and bereavement classes also offered at Roger’s House.
In addition to bereavement counselling, one of the ways we continue to stay strong is by raising funds for Roger’s House. It helps us to know that we in turn are helping other families with sick children and that they too can draw on this amazing resource in our community. Located on the grounds of CHEO, Roger’s House provides a comprehensive pediatric palliative care program with elements of outreach, residential hospice, pain and symptom management, grief and bereavement counselling and research.
By purchasing this calendar you are ensuring that Roger’s House will be there for those that will need it. You are making a difference to families like ours who would not have known what to do if Roger’s House had not been there.
Life can change so quickly and it is comforting to know that facilities such as Roger’s House exist in our community. Thank you so much for making a difference and being a part of Maddy’s story!
Sincerely,
Dean, Jeanine & Hannah Otto (Maddy’s Dad, Mom & Big Sister)
Maddy’s story is just one of many. Since Roger’s House opened its doors on May 15th 2006, hundreds of families have had to bear the unfathomable grief of burying their little loved ones.
Fabien & I are personal friends to Jeanine, Dean and Hannah. In keeping with our company’s mission statement, we would like to give back to Roger’s House by selling calendars featuring 12 very handsome men (that I have given a personal thumbs up to, and I am known for my superior taste in men! A plug for Fabien!), 2 of which have said good-bye to their children at Roger’s House.
Calendars are $20.00 each and all proceeds will go to Roger’s House, in memory of Madison. Bronson Johsnon Seamless Eavestroughs does not benefit financially in any way from the sales of these calendars.
To order your calendars, please contact me by email at [email protected] or by phone at (613) 619-1357. Accepted methods of payment are cash or credit card. With Christmas around the corner, these calendars make excellent gifts!
Thank you for supporting such a worthy cause!
Most sincerely,
Heather Cauley
Director of Lasting Impressions
Bronson Johnson Seamless Eavestroughs
(613) 619-1357
[email protected]
www.bronsonjohnson.com
“Bronson Johnson Seamless Eavestroughs consistently strives to be trusted by our customers, revered by our competitors and honoured by our community.”