Thursday 20 October 2011

Conclusion of #comforterquest

Poor old Wanda, the cat, is sitting vigil under her daddy's bed. She had a quiet day.

My client was in fine fettle this afternoon.
After I'd walked in wearing my Leafs jersey, we'd shared our joke.
As I left he said, "Go, Sens, go!"

His evening PSW he told, "If you see a guy with a long beard and tattoos, he's my son. Just tell him, "Down, Rob, Down." He has some precious moments. I would have loved to have known him when...
some tattoo!
Stu got the comforter from Michael Nagy, the buyer, downtown in Ottawa. 

I phone Rob and asked if he'd be my body guard while I sat in a parking lot. Truth. He'd been napping while the other caregiver was there. He usually did the midnight shift when Dad need meds or TLC.
Stu catches the comforter downtown Ottawa
from Michael Nagy
There was a plan for Stu and I to meet. I figured I might be able to make it fun. Truly didn't want to drive alone.

Yes, it's true. I picked up Rob. We sat in the Franktown Parc 'N Ride, me and my client's son. Waiting, hoping the cops didn't come by. If they did, I had the print out of many of the tweets of this developing story. Under strict instructions to phone home when we arrived I did.
Hubby told us we were early and might have time to pop into a couple of pubs while we were waiting. Truth is, you can't even get a pop in Franktown at 9:00 at night!

It was around 9 pm, a small white car pulled into the parking lot. There was a logo on the side, and it wasn't the OPP! It was Stu.

The handover in the parking lot!
 Rob was handed the comforter by our hero, Stu. Giggles all around.
Rob & Stu: Franktown: From Cottage Country Reflections

We sat and laughed and Rob said it was touching and wonderful –all that everyone did for us. Ah well. The deed is done and we all made a son very happy.

I took Rob home, and we went up to see his Dad. Dad was sleeping. I reached over and touched his shoulder, a frail hand reached up from under his covers and said, "Go away and let me sleep!"

Rather a hoot after all this, but understandable. Me an' my tattooed friend, Rob, had a blast. Dad went back to sleep.

My client has his comforter. That's the important thing, and I am burned out. I took Saturday off, and visited with my friends and grandkids. I haven't had a life since taking up this quest a week before.
I've had this client for two weeks.

Read the first segment here. "The Ottawa-Carleton-Gatineau #comforterquest", the power of social media to work for good.

UPDATE:

Apparently I was out of the loop. The Sens had been talking to Stu all along. I'm not sure why they didn't contact me directly. Sens head office phoned Stu, quite miffed at my suggestion that their support was lukewarm.

They offered to have Spartacat to deliver the comforter.

I declined this potential exploitation of my client, a Spartacat photo-op. One is not at their best when palliative with cancer. I still submit that they could have sent some swag. They got a lot of tweets and CBC coverage from this.
But that is just my opinion and I am entitled to it, sitting as I did, bedside afternoons for two weeks straight.

 I don't know what motivates people.
@Monkeyboard was the most altruistic, as was the anonymous benefactor who offered to pay to have the comforter transported to us in Perth, or Janine who offered to pick it up and get it out to us in Lanark County.
photo from Stu Mills' camera
my flash crapped out

3 comments:

W.C.Camp said...

As always you are so kind to anyone and anything in your life. That was a thoughtful gift. The tattoo is a little scary though! W.C.C.

You can never take too many pictures said...

Very Nice Jen, as I have watched my poor thin brother I thought of you and your client. Brother Bill has 2 heavy wool blankets and the ward he is on offers him heated flannel blankets as well....so we know he will not feel the cold!!!! His time approaches fast, tumors are growing and causing problems, he is getting agitated. Not fun for his devoted Wife! I will see him one more time this weekend and then say my final Goodbye!!!!

Jenn Jilks said...

I look back at this story, and I still get upset. Stu Mills hijacked the project. HE picked up the comforter, when I was going to send my son-in-law, and a journalist offered to pay for parcel post. We didn't know how long this man had.
Stu Mills got angry with me, as when I was asked, on Twitter, if I'd been offered any swag, I said no. Apparently, Stu took over the project, and they contacted him, not me. He just used it to further his media presence. He didn't know where this man lived, nor how to get the comforter to him.
Mills also blocked me on Twitter.
And, finally, to demand I go to a remote location, at 9 at night, to get the comforter, he was delayed, was upsetting to me. The deer are on the road, and who knows who is out there.