By Sandra Sullivan Executive Director, Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation
This Mother’s Day, as daffodils bloom and families gather, I find myself reflecting on the woman who shaped my heart, my values, and the very path I walk today—my mother, Barbara Sullivan.
In our office we talk a lot about our “why.” Why we are motivated to come to work every day and why we have the passion for working to support Hospice care.
My mother passed away in a hospice in Hamilton Ontario, and though it was one of the hardest moments of my life, it was also one of the most beautiful. She left this world in peace, surrounded by love, dignity, and compassion—exactly the way she lived her life.
My mother had unwavering energy and an insatiable joie de vivre. She was not only the matriarch of our family, but a steadfast presence in the community. She taught me that kindness is not weakness, that strength often shows up when you need it most, and that no matter how busy life becomes, there is always time to give back.
I remember sitting beside her in those final days. The hospice staff didn’t just care for her body; they held space for her soul—and for ours. Offering tea and warm chocolate chip cookies, the nurses were gentle and soft spoken. That experience didn’t just comfort me as her daughter—it shaped me with a motivation to work in support of hospice palliative care.
My mother had a deep belief in the power of community and the deep obligation of taking care of others. Daily I see how that belief lives in the work of Hospice Georgian Triangle. Every time we support a family in the sacred moments of goodbye, I feel her presence. Every time I witness a gentle hand held, a song sung quietly at a bedside, or a family finding peace amidst pain—I think of my mom.
She would be proud of Campbell House and Hospice Georgian Triangle. Proud that love can be so present even when life is slipping away. Proud that we meet every individual where they are—with no judgment, only compassion. Proud that we recognize what she knew: that the end of life deserves just as much care, reverence, and attention as the beginning.
So this Mother’s Day, I honour my mother not only with memories, but through action. In leading the Foundation team, in advocating in the community, and in striving to ensure that every person in our community is treated as she was at end-of-life —with dignity, gentleness, and love.
Thank you, Mom, for everything. Your legacy lives on in me, and in this work I am so privileged to do.
Happy Mother’s Day.
