November 27, 2023
Family member Arlene Adair, left, and Wetaskiwin Health Foundation Director Sudha Devaraj cut the ribbon at the official naming of the Cecil Colwell Memorial Suite at Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre. Photo supplied.
Story by Gayleen Froese
WETASKIWIN — Cecil Colwell’s desire to bring palliative suites to the Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre began in a cot next to the hospital bed of his wife Doris.
While he was spending as much time as he could with Doris during her final days, he came to realize that the facility needed more comfortable spaces where families and friends could focus on connecting with their loved ones.
As a member of the Wetaskiwin Health Foundation team, Cecil took action to lead a fundraising drive that raised the full $480,000 needed to bring two palliative care suites to the centre.
At a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony, members of Doris and Cecil’s families — as well as representatives from Alberta Health Services and the Wetaskiwin Health Foundation — expressed praise for the couple and celebrated Cecil’s commitment to helping palliative care patients and families. Unfortunately, Cecil didn’t live to attend the ceremony.
“I have never met anyone with more passion than Cec. He knew what he wanted, why he wanted it, and he made it happen,” says John Strong, Executive Director of the Wetaskiwin Health Foundation. “So we knew something had to be done to honour his legacy and to honour Doris.”
Palliative care suites are designed to create a comfortable, home-like care environment. In the Wetaskiwin Hospital, they include kitchen amenities and space for family to stay overnight. Hundreds of families have shared time and made memories in these suites since they opened and, this October, they were officially named in honour of Cecil and Doris Colwell.
“Cecil and Doris are the reason we are here today,” says Monique Janes, Director of Rural Acute Care for Alberta Health Services. “Seeing their names on plaques outside the suites will be a daily reminder of the loving connections that palliative care is meant to support.
“Providing modern, well-equipped palliative care space in a rural hospital aligns with Alberta Health Services’ dedication to improving health resources for all Albertans — and keeping healthcare closer to home for those who live outside urban centres.”
For the families of the late Cecil and Doris Colwell, it’s a legacy in which they take pride.
