Langley seniors are sending a huge thank you to B.C.’s top doctor.
It was early in March that seniors throughout the province first saw B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, on television.
Now, on the other side of a flattened curve, residents at both Magnolia Gardens and Sunridge Gardens retirement living homes in Langley want to say thank you to Henry for her “remarkable leadership through a global pandemic,” explained Janice Miller, marketing partner for Bria Communities, the parent company of Magnolia and Sunridge Gardens.
In early March, the care home residents were self-isolating in their suites for their safety, and like so many across the province, their TVs and radios were tuned in all day long waiting for news about COVID-19.
That’s when they met Dr. Henry for the first time, recounted Miller.
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“She won everyone’s hearts during the provincial health briefing, when [she] got emotional as she talked about protecting vulnerable seniors from the coronavirus,” Miller said.
“After that, to our residents, she became the undisputed authority on everything related to health and safety during the pandemic.”
Now in the third phase of re-opening, residents like Ruth Shankland of Sunridge Gardens are reflecting on Henry’s leadership and its impact on their lives.
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“We want to thank you for your wisdom and courage during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Shankland said in a card address to Dr. Henry.
“You have asked us to be kind, to be calm, and to be safe, and we so admire the way you have modelled these things for us.”
This week, Bria residents and staff sent dozens of messages of thanks in the form of handwritten cards, smiling photos, and a video message directly to Dr. Henry in Victoria.
“Her leadership has had a direct impact on every one of our residents and staff, and has no doubt taken a personal toll,” Miller noted.
“We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say ‘thank you’!”
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