It’s important work because the end of life is a huge thing and we have to treat that moment with care.
Nicole is drawing. “A stormy sea. A little shark in the waves. The shark is looking for the little man. He’s going to eat him…” A Robert Charlebois song plays in the background.
We’re in the middle of an art therapy session in the palliative care department. Most of the patients here have less than three months to live.
Nicole knows her date. She will end her life in less than a month. She will receive medical assistance to die. “It’s a privilege to know when you’re going to die,” she tells Martine with a smile. Nicole is at peace, but other patients at the end of life are more anxious.
Pastels, plasticine, plaster, images, music. Different media to express themselves. To think about something else. To ease their anxiety about their approaching end of life. A moment for them to explore their creativity while they’re still here. Right up to the end.
Thanks to your donations, the palliative care art therapy program offers patients a moment of escape. A moment of tranquility.
On behalf of patients at the end of life, THANK YOU for giving them a compassionate, humane and welcoming space to end their days in peace. As much as possible.
