On Thursday, April 11, NC student Lana Reid helped make a Niagara Falls man’s dream a reality – to see Gordon Lightfoot live in concert.
Carl Johnson, 58, a resident at the Meadows of Dorchester long-term care facility, was granted his wish to see Gordon Lightfoot in concert, thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers and Niagara College’s Second Wind Dreams (SWD) project. Though a man of few words, his smile said it all.
“I learned about the SWD project during my program orientation in first year and thought, I have to do this,” said Reid, now in her second year of NC’s Recreation Therapy program. “In second year, the opportunity came up for placements and I had to make a decision. I’d already worked in a long-term care home, so I considered a retirement home for the experience. Ultimately, the SWD project is specific to a long-term care home. It was more important to me to be a “Dream Weaver”, to be part of fulfilling someone’s dream.”
SWD is an international non-profit with a mission of fulfilling the wishes of long-term care residents. For seven years under the guidance of Recreation Therapy professor and program coordinator, Christine Wilkinson, students in the program have fulfilled the dreams of more than 25 long-term care residents through SWD.
“It was so important to Lana to have this opportunity,” said Wilkinson. “Students can apply to be involved with this project during their final program placement. It’s a feel-good event and something my former students say has had a lasting impact on them.”
As part of her 280 hour placement at the Meadows of Dorchester, Reid spent time getting to know the residents. She chose Johnson and spent time discovering his dream and planning for the big day.
L-R: NC student Lana Reid, Second Wind Dream recipient Carl Johnson, Johnson’s sister Leah Richmond. Back row: Volunteer and friend Bruce Mateyk.
“He’s a good-natured, caring person and we connected through humour,” said Reid, who describes Johnson as the “watch-dog” of the residence. “He’s a real people-watcher. Carl has had lot more challenges in life than most people, including a young diagnosis, but he’s humble about it. He’s very deserving of this experience.”
Reid learned about Johnson’s passions in life. “He used to play guitar and he’s always loved music, so he was excited about going to a concert,” Reid explained. Physical challenges no longer make playing music possible for Johnson.
Recreation Therapy program students planned fundraisers for SWD in the fall and winter, including two sign painting nights, a trivia night, and a bracelet-making event, raising a total of $5,000.
“Fundraising is a great augment to their studies, giving students experience with work they’ll do in the field of Recreation Therapy,” said Wilkinson.
On the big day, residents, staff, family and friends at Dorchester Meadows gathered to celebrate Johnson with party favors and a champagne toast from Reid.
“He’s been looking forward to this for weeks. It’s all we talk about,” said Leah Richmond, Johnson’s sister.
Johnson waves as he gets into the waiting limousine.
The dream day began with Johnson being picked up in a limousine, taken for dinner and gambling at Casino Niagara, and then to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines to see Gordon Lightfoot live in concert. Johnson was joined by Meadows of Dorchester volunteer Bruce Mateyk, Personal Support Worker Shannon Rehaume, and Reid.
SWD’s can have a significant impact on a long-term care home. In her teaching, Wilkinson references a Dreams Impact Study from 2002 which sites the positive impacts. These include 56 per cent of residents showing a decrease in depression, a 10 per cent decrease in staff turnover, and significant increases in spirit of teamwork, positive feelings in the facility, and feelings that residents were treated with dignity and respect.
Johnson has made an impact on many at Meadows of Dorchester. “As time went on, I saw Carl as a friend, and I think he sees it that way too,” said Mateyk.
“Carl could not stop smiling all night,” said Reid the following day. “He won at the Casino, he really enjoyed Gordon Lightfoot, and it was his first time in a limo. After the concert, we drove by the falls and he didn’t want the night to end. I will never forget his smile and the sheer joy that Second Wind Dreams brought to him.”
For Reid, it seems the experience fulfilled a dream of her own. “My dream was to make someone else’s dream come true.”
