New organization makes dreams come true for seniors
Posted October 19, 2012 10:34 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – You’re never too old to dream! That could sum up the message from a new non-profit group launching today in Vancouver.
Maninder Dhaliwal, the executive director of the Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation, says their goal is to change the way society views seniors and also help make dreams come true.
About 100 seniors carrying signs that say things like “90 is the new 40” and ‘I’m 70 and I Tweet’ are gathering at the Vancouver Art Gallery for a rally this afternoon.
How did the foundation begin?
Five years ago, a case manager from the Vancouver General Hospital called Nurse Next Door in search of a miracle. They had a palliative client who had just one remaining wish, as his health was deteriorating: to see his son in Calgary whom he had not spoken to in 43 years.
Nurse Next Door CEO John DeHart personally covered the cost of this first “dream” and fulfilled this man’s wish. The company realized the impact they could have on people’s lives; people have these dreams and wishes but aren’t asked about them.
Wishes don’t have to be about dying; they are also about celebrating life and aging.
This Canadian charity is currently considering dreams as wide-ranging as dance classes for a senior with mobility issues, helping start a seniors’ book club, and a dream to meet Paul McCartney in person after being a die hard fan of his music for 50 years.
