HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-12-23, Page 2Page q Ph:e. HutPP_ xpositor • Decem4er,23 2099
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Christmas Day hippo delivery has become family tradition
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tients and staff. They've made the
visit to Seaforth hospital on Christ-
mas morning for the past four
years.
"It's quite amazing to see how fac-
• es light up just from getting a little
stuffed toy," says Macaulay. "She
(Brenda) does a dance and cheers
people up."
"It's easy to act crazy when you're
wearing the suit," says Brenda, add-
ing that there's never .a shortage
of volunteers to wear it when she
can't.
"The hippo suit definitely gets at-
tention - the patients are drawn to
it."
While she makes visits to hospitals
during special occasions like Christ-
mas, Valentine's Day and Easter,
Brenda also makes sure that anyone
in the Toronto area that is newly -
diagnosed with a terminaldisease
receives a purple hippo.
"We originally went through pallia-
tive care but the hospitals are com-
ing to us now," she says. "Sometimes
it's hard to know what to say and the
hippos do the talking for us."
And, handing out purple hip -
Macaulay, Cameron and their grandma Sheila Morton prepare to
visit patients last Christmas Day with Brenda Broadfoot.
pos helps Brenda as she continues
through her treatment.
"I think I'm still standing because
of this foundation. It gives me a rea-
son to get out of bed in the morning
and when I see people in the hospi-
tal, I wonder what I have to complain
about. We are
very fortu-
nate to have
our time," she
says.
In Hu-
ron County,
Brenda has
also visited
Huronview
and Huronlea
with plans to
visit Alexan-
dra Marine
and General
Hospital in
Goderich this
year.
Look-
ing back on
her visits to
Seaforth hos-
pital, Brenda
remembers
an elderly
man in the TV room who was frantic
to get his hippo unwrapped but sat
with a great big grin on his face once
he held the toy in his arms.
"When we left the hospital, he was
still sitting there rocking back, and
forth holding it," remembers Bob. "I
was wondering if he was thinking of
a toy he received as a child or a toy
one of his children had received for
Christmas - the smile was that big."
Brenda says the hospital staffhelps
to make the day a fun one as well.
"I can't see it being much fun being
in the hospital on Christmas Day -
it's kind of a lonely time for patients.
So, the hospitals are very receptive
to the visits," she says.
The Morton boys say they're look-
ing forward to visiting the hospital
again this Christmas right after
their breakfast.
"We get to wear elf hats or Santa
hats and it's really fun. Sometimes
people are only half . awake so we
creep in and put the hippo on their
table while they're sleeping," says
Macaulay.
"They can't see their kids or their
grandkids at Christmas so it makes
them happy to see some kids," adds
Cameron.
Their grandma Sheila agrees.
"I just enjoy how happy everyone is
- patients, nurses and staff. You feel
good yourself and it's important to
take time out for others," she says.