Hospital Treasures 

Submitted by Richard Daley
Greater Moncton 
   

Showing compassion comes easy when we think of the little ones that must make arduous journeys to hospitals for medications, checkups and treatments, but most of us have only brief encounters with these wonderful kids.  During these visits we do our best to lift their spirits and bring special joy into their lives, even if only for brief moments. But what of those few individuals that spend the majority of their waking hours focused on this human resource so dear to us?  Amongst the kids at our local hospital are treasures often overlooked.  These are the wonderful ladies in charge of the children’s care wards.  Child life officer Peggy Wheaton takes the lead at the Moncton Hospital and Annette Melanson at the Georges Dumont.  They look after these children day in and day out.

When Moncton Progress members Derek and Greg donned costumes of SpongeBob and Patrick to visit the Paediatric wards at both of the local hospitals they were not only taken by the excitement in the children’s faces, they were impressed with the care and kindness shown by these two women.  Peggy had a rapport with her patients that was endearing.  It was not hard to see how she touched their lives.  Annette over at the Georges Dumont had a smile that never seemed to leave her face.  Her positive glow was contagious as she spread good feelings to all around her.  The care she and Peggy gave the kids was evident even in our short visit.  Yes we as progress members take great joy in the short time we have with these wonderful kids, but the real heroes spend a lifetime giving and not asking anything in return.