Project History
 

“Windows of Hope – Keeping Families Together”.

The focus of this project is to help people who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, maintain contact with their loved ones when treatment is not available within their community. The goal is to provide families with computers that are equipped with Video/Voice capabilities (Webcams). These computers will allow the patient and their families to see and talk to one another on a daily basis without the long distance calling charges.

When specialized treatment is not available within your community it often means periods of time away from family and friends for periods of 6-8 weeks, possibly longer.  The time spent away from ones emotional support group can cause additional emotional stress, therefore making the treatment a lonely and sad time. Having to juggle work schedules, finances, and often times daycare for children adds to the emotional stress of the entire family during an already difficult time.  It is during this time of illness that we need each other most and it’s at this crucial time families are separated.

This past year I have met four families who have received or are receiving cancer treatment 500 miles away from their families and their communities.

Windows of Hope is dedicated to two of these families, Elsa Aspen who fought a courageous battle with cancer for more than one year and Tammy Smeds a mother of five who today is fighting the battle of her life. Tammy had surgery August 2004 to remove a brain tumor. She was required to stay in Vancouver while her partner and their children remained in Prince George. Tammy has stated that her stay in Vancouver would have been more bearable if she could just “see her children”. That seeing them and talking to them would have given her the strength that she needed to continue with her treatment.

It is our hope that Windows of Hope, with the assistance of our combined communities, will make it possible to erase the miles between families through “Windows of Hope”. This will give families the ability to stay close when the miles seem so long between them.

The first stage of the Windows of Hope project has been tested and completed thanks in part to the generous donation by Shaw Cable of two high-speed Internet connections.

A new partner in our project is the University of Northern BC - UNBC. UNBC has assisted us with the necessary video conferencing software.

Two computers with video/voice conferencing capabilities (webcam) have been installed in the home of cancer patient Tammy Smeds who resides in Prince George and the home of Loriann Greenall – Tammy’s sister who resides in the Kelowna region.

Loriann and I are working on this project together.  I first met Loriann when she began volunteering her time with the RCMP – Victim Services unit. Loriann has a background in Social Work and has been working for the Ministry of Human Resources for the past six years. I am very glad to be working with her on this project.

CONTACT
 

Tony Romeyn

Prince George, BC
tony@windowsofhope.ca
                    

Loriann Greenall

Westbank, BC

loriann@doorsofhope.com