Michelle Leech
Contributor
“They saved us.”
The words leave Best Western Hotel employee Janette Poirier’s lips with a simple honesty that would leave many shivering as they attempt to imagine the pain and torment that she has gone through. The innocence in her voice is matched only by the urgency of her circumstance.
“Without YANA, we wouldn’t have made it.”
Perhaps you have heard the story. Little Ruby Poirier, then a mere six years old, is diagnosed with leukemia.
Leaving both her husband Dylan and her toddler Emmett at home, Janette pulled Ruby out of school to take Ruby to Vancouver where she would undergo treatment at Children’s Hospital for nine months. After hearing about YANA (You Are Not Alone), Janette called for more information.
After hearing about YANA, Janette called for more information. “They said, ‘Here are the keys.’ They took care of everything.”
With a deep breath, Janette displays the strength and courage she has had to acquire to endure the hardship of a child sick with leukemia.
Ruby had two bouts of treatment, first an originally successful stem cell transplant, and then a bone marrow transplant when Ruby went into remission years after. For nine months each time, Janette and Ruby were separated from their family.
After years of heartache, but filled with gratitude towards the community that has supported her, and finally, of triumph, Janette and her family are finally healing.
A community-based charity, YANA raises funds to assist families, with sick children seek and fund treatment. Their goal is to keep families together during the difficult treatment process.
Through the kindness of fellow community members and residents, YANA has been able to assist over 1,000 families since its founding in 1986, and depends solely on the support of our community.
“…here, we take an interest in our employees," says Rick Browning, owner of the Best Western Plus Westerly Hotel. "They are, after all, our greatest asset. To thank YANA for helping to support one of our own through five difficult years, the Best Western will be hosting a Harvest Long Table Dinner Saturday, Nov. 9.
"This will be served 'family' style at a long table, with dishes passed around between supporters and guests, like one Big Happy Family. There will be six different wines being offered to try as tastings. The long table symbolizes the coming together of the community in support of a worthy cause.”
$10 of every ticket will go to YANA.
For more details on how you can also support YANA by taking part in the Harvest Long Table Dinner, contact the Westerly at 250-338-7741 or visit www.thewesterlyhotel.ca.