About the Children’s Treatment Centre and its three programs

This week’s headlines in The Leader include: Arena entrance upgrades will exceed $890,000; Mixed use development proposed for Iroquois; SDFES recruitment efforts rewarded; Meet the Candidates – Interviews with the Green, Liberal, NDP, and PC […]

There is a book, Franklin in the Dark, on the shelf of the Iroquois Public Library. In part the inscription inside its cover reads, “donated by Paulette Bourgeois in memory of a special little girl, Shelby.”

Above it, carefully displayed in a shadow box, is a bright blue, knitted sweater, with Franklin the Turtle in his red scarf, happily scurrying somewhere. Beneath this box is a simple paper plaque which reads, in part, “This sweater was lovingly knit by Freda Bourgeois. She was the mother of Paulette Bourgeois, the author of the Franklin books. Freda called herself Franklin’s grandmother…Freda was a wonderful and talented woman…The sweater is displayed in honour of Freda.”

This is the story of how a baby called Shelby and a grandmother called Freda touched many, many hearts.

When their daughter Shelby, born in February, 2000, was barely six months old, the Staye family of Iroquois was given news that would devastate them. 

Shelby was diagnosed with a very rare type of brain tumour. So rare is this form of cancer that there were, at the time, only 12 cases in all of North America.

“She had a fever all the time,” recalls her mother, Cheryl O’Duffy-Staye. “She could not keep her food down. She was very ill, always, due to increasing pressure on her brain stem.”

Doctors at CHEO could only offer the family a three per cent possibility that Shelby would survive her illness.

On June 6, 2001, baby Shelby Staye died.

“The only good thing, I guess,” Cheryl said quietly, “was that she was too young to understand what was happening to her. I saw too many parents trying to explain to their older children the reality of what was happening to them, trying to console them.

But it was a very tough time for her dad and me.” 

During the dark and difficult days while Shelby was in CHEO undergoing different types of treatments, Cheryl met other moms whose children were taking cancer therapies. 

“CHEO insisted that we had to attend parent meetings with  Philip, a psychologist, to talk and to share our pain,” Cheryl said. “I didn’t want to go to these meetings at first. I felt that I was not at the hospital to make friends. But in the end, it was a good thing I did attend. I did make friends with moms who understood what I was facing.” 

Eventually she grew very close to a particular group of seven women. She also met a wonderful CHEO volunteer, an outgoing elderly woman who often baked loaves and cookies and brought them to the meetings or presented them in baskets to the families.

This volunteer was Freda Bourgeois, who, Cheryl later learned, was founder of the Bouclair chain, and also the mother of Paulette Bourgeois, creator of the much beloved Franklin the Turtle. 

Freda often introduced herself, with a laugh, to parents and families on the oncology floor as “Franklin’s grandmother.”

The Group of Eight Moms, as  Cheryl and the mothers began calling themselves, “adopted” the cheery little woman they had all come to like. 

“When our children didn’t need CHEO any more,” Cheryl said quietly, “we decided to create our charity, The Group of Eight Moms, and held different kinds of fund raisers for the hospital. 

We supported the Children’s Wish Foundation, and when CHEO re-vamped its cancer floor, our Group raised the funds to purchase TVs, DVDs and video players for the children who had to be in isolation wards. Every Christmas the Group still collects donated gifts from area merchants and creates lovely baskets for families. We all understand what it is like to spend Christmas in the hospital.”

That bright blue sweater that now has its home in the Iroquois Library was especially knitted by Freda for Cheryl, to comfort her through the difficult days.

The Group did not learn until later, however, that their Freda, who had already survived one bout with cancer, was quietly battling ovarian cancer. This would be a fight she would not win.

Cheryl cherishes a photo she has of herself with Freda in her last months, shortly before “Franklin’s grandmother” passed away.

“After we lost Shelby, I kept Freda’s special sweater for a few years. Then I decided that it should be out where people could see it. Our family loves reading, so I presented it to Eleanor Pietersma, of the Iroquois Library: when it was mounted, I sent a photo of it to Paulette in her mother’s memory,” Cheryl said.

“Paulette wrote me back, saying it was a wonderful gesture. She then sent a personally signed Franklin book to our Library. Freda was a wonderful, optimistic woman. I suspect having Freda for a mom may have inspired Paulette’s stories.”

When Cheryl learned that she was again pregnant with a little girl (son Callahan was almost seven), “I was so glad. In a way I felt it was like having my first baby back again.”

Baby Shannon and big brother Callahan do not forget Shelby.  Her memory is kept alive in her family. Like  grandmother Freda,  baby Shelby continues to touch many lives. 

Their mother smiles at her two laughing children as they play in the library near the shadow box and the Franklin books.

“Even now, when Callahan draws a picture of our family, at the top of the drawing there is always a tiny baby with small angel wings.”

[…]

The team rhetoric is building as Tubie Race weekend approaches.

All the festivities including the Friday night’s teen dance, Saturday’s parade and dance and Sunday’s races are set for this weekend.

Organizers, the Morrisburg and District Lions Club, who are presenting the 43rd edition of the festivities, made a rule change to allow some younger paddlers to establish a new generation to ensure that the long-running tradition continues. 

They are thrilled to see that some new, and some younger teams are planning to ‘paddle on’ this weekend, pitting their skills against some wily veterans.

“I’m hoping to defend my title as King of the River,” said Gary McGee, who captained last year’s winning team. “But, I won’t be too upset if someone new is crowned, as this tiara I’ve been wearing all year is getting quite heavy.”

“As always, I have some new ideas for improving my craft this year, but to be honest, I have no idea if they will work,” said McGee. “That’s the beauty of the Tubie race, right? You just never know what’s going to happen.”

Childhood friends, turned Tubie rivals, Gary McGee and Jon Domanko, battled it out last year for the title which came down to a photo finish.

Despite the strong finish of Domanko last year, McGee, says they will be in the mix, but sees the team of Katherine Lee as a favourite, “If the team can stay upright.”

Lee captained a race winning tubie craft last year, but it capsized taking the team out of contention. 

Robert Farlinger, who designed, built and raced to victory that craft, disagreed that the team’s inexperience was its downfall. 

“I think its more a case that the fury of the St. Lawrence river can sometimes undermine even the best engineered craft,” said Farlinger.

McGee never counts out the Barclay/Laurin craft. “They had a good craft last year, but Jeff (Barclay) is getting a bit old, so I’m not too worried,” said McGee. “Same for Greg Millard. He’s probably not a factor because he’s preoccupied with his upcoming wedding.”

McGee might be right about Barclay, as it was recently announced that they will not be entering the Tubies this year, but they do plan to exert some influence on a new and up and coming team.

“Sage (Barclay) will be putting a team in,” said Laura Barclay, team spokesperson. “We will take pride in prepping our future River Queens and Kings,” she added.

The Barclay/Veinotte team which will include Sage Barclay, Christyn Veinotte, Cole Veinotte, Marc Beckstead, Lindsay Boland, Morgan Schaillee, Danielle Quenneville, Wesley Farmer, Joey Lamarche and Jon Gilmer. “Keep calm, they were born to paddle on,” said Barclay.

While the Barclays will be watching Tubies from a different vantage point this year, they did hint at a return next year.

“We’ll help Sage get a taste for Tubies this year, before next year, when her parents come in and sweep it from underneath her,” challenged Barclay.

“Although we take a different seat this year, please not that our hearts and souls remain at the core of Tubie Weekend,” said Barclay.

“We will miss their creativity and enthusiasm, but are pleased to learn that Laura and Jeff (Barclay) are grooming the next generation of paddlers,” said Michael Domanko, one of the key organizers from the Morrisburg and District Lions Club.

“That, and the addition of the Junior B Lions team should provide some new, young blood for this weekend’s events.

Other teams expected to participate in this year’s event include Canadian Tire, Jen Wilson and the Morrell girls.

[…]