They can’t give their mothers the hugs they all so desperately want, but a group of families will do the next best thing during a Mother’s Day parade around a West Vancouver care home this Sunday.
The families of residents at Amica West Vancouver are planning to decorate their cars with balloons and signs and drive around the facility several times Sunday morning at 11 a.m. to let the mothers inside know that they are thinking of them.
Giselle Portenier, the organizer of the event, hasn’t been able to get inside the facility for nearly two months as Amica, like so many other care homes, has been locked down to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“The main reason we are doing it is that we are not allowed to go see our mothers,” said Portenier. “And Mother’s Day is very important, especially to the older people who have been isolated for a long time. We don’t want to let COVID-19 interfere with celebrating our mothers. And we also want to celebrate all the staff who are mothers and are working on Mother’s Day to protect and help our loved ones.”
Portenier’s mother Maud Hill is 97 years old and has been living in the Amica facility for the past eight years. The only face-to-face contact they’ve had recently is Portenier standing on the street, exchanging a few short words and blowing kisses up to Hill’s fourth-floor balcony. She remembers clearly the last time she was able to touch her mother.
“I know the exact date, because they shut Amica the next day,” said Portenier. “The last time I saw her was March 12. It will be almost exactly two months since I’ve seen her. She’s quite challenged with her hearing, so it’s been very difficult for her. She’s even more isolated than many others because I phone her and she can’t hear me very well. … I drop off notes and I drop off jokes and short stories and photos to try to keep her engaged, but I know that everyone else there is challenged in similar and other ways as well.”
Portenier plans on decorating her car with a giant heart on the hood and a “Happy Mother’s Day” sign on the roof. There may be other surprises as well, including a bagpiper leading the procession. Portenier is encouraging all the Amica familes to join in, and hoping all the residents and staff will be able to find a balcony or window to enjoy the show.
“I’m absolutely certain all the residents will love it, because one of the reasons we’re doing it is because, you know, life is pretty dull at the minute, right? They can’t have any visitors, they can’t see anyone. We’re doing it as much for entertainment as it is to support them,” she said.
“It’s a pretty simple little premise, right? Let’s not let COVID-19 get in the way of Mother’s Day.”
The care centre is located at 659 Clyde Avenue in West Vancouver. The parade begins at 11 a.m. Sunday.
