Now ten days have passed since the Michael's funeral and the majestic music from the service is still ringing in our hearts. The combined choir swelled to almost one hundred singers with representatives from the Canadian Children's Opera Company, The Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Laurier Singers, the Wilfred Laurier University Concert Choir and Faculty from Waterloo, and the Cantabile Chamber Singers from Toronto.
When Michael met with Rev. Palmer three years ago, he asked that there be 'Big Singing,' because he didn't have the breath left himself to sing...and sing they did, with all their hearts and their glorious voices! Michael chose his three special hymns, (which I will list for you along with the full music program, at a later blog,) as well as BACH...chorales and preludes...yes, there must always be Bach! We added the four Canadian composers.
Our other musicians included Thomas Fitches~Organist and Director of Music at St. Clement's Church, who warmly welcomed our special guests Robert Cooper~Conductor of the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Ann Cooper Gay~organist and Conductor of the Canadian Children's Opera Company, Errol Gay~pianist, Moshe Hammer~violinist and Edward Moroney~organist and pianist.
The clergy was lead by the Rev Canon Cheryl C. Palmer, Rector of St. Clement's Anglican Church assisted by the Rev David Montgomery. Family members on Anne-Marie's side, Father Murray McDermott from Waterloo and Father Leo Byrne from Kingston, along with Fr. Larry Marcille, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church also participated in the service.
We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to each of you for your generous participation in this Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Michael Applin. And to each of you who attended the service...thank you too for the Big Singing!
The church was brimming with so many family, friends, neighbours and colleagues from the pages of Michael's life.
I will write soon about the tribute remarks given to remember and honour Michael by dear friends Dr.David Naylor, Richard Hossack and Tennys Hanson .
Thank you all for making this service the most remarkable celebration of our Michael.
Fondly
The Applin Girls
www.applinaward.blogspot.com
...........
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Michael R Applin Award
We welcome your gift in memory of Michael Applin, to the Michael R. Applin Nursing Award for Transplant at Toronto General Hospital
Michael was diagnosed 10 years ago with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis). After a 7-month wait for a lung transplant, and nearly one full month in the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit of Toronto General Hospital, he passed away from complications on February 6th, 2009. The exemplary nursing care touched us all deeply, and the Applin family has created a legacy award to recognize and honour their superb dedication.
Nurses working in the Multi Organ Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital are part of a highly specialized team who provide care for patients coping with organ failure. They work closely with physicians to assess and adjust complex care plans. Their advanced training allows them to provide compassionate and innovative care for patients before, during and after transplantation.
Gifts may be made online by clicking on the linked button above. They may also be made by phone to 416.340.3935, or by mail to Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation, 190 Elizabeth St., Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, CANADA.
Please visit our new site dedicated to the Michael R. Applin Nursing Award at http://www.applinaward.blogspot.com
Michael was diagnosed 10 years ago with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis). After a 7-month wait for a lung transplant, and nearly one full month in the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit of Toronto General Hospital, he passed away from complications on February 6th, 2009. The exemplary nursing care touched us all deeply, and the Applin family has created a legacy award to recognize and honour their superb dedication.
Nurses working in the Multi Organ Transplant Centre at Toronto General Hospital are part of a highly specialized team who provide care for patients coping with organ failure. They work closely with physicians to assess and adjust complex care plans. Their advanced training allows them to provide compassionate and innovative care for patients before, during and after transplantation.
Gifts may be made online by clicking on the linked button above. They may also be made by phone to 416.340.3935, or by mail to Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation, 190 Elizabeth St., Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, CANADA.
Please visit our new site dedicated to the Michael R. Applin Nursing Award at http://www.applinaward.blogspot.com
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Celebration of Michael's Life
After a busy weekend we have the major details in place.
Funeral with reception to follow
Saturday February 14th 1 pm
St. Clement's Anglican Church
59 Briar Hill Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
For details and directions http://www.stclements-church.org/contact.html
Visitation
Thursday February 12th 5 - 8 pm
Friday February 13th 2 - 4 pm and 6 - 8 pm
at Morley Bedford Funeral Services Home
159 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
For details and directions http://www.morleybedford.ca/contact.html
While we know flowers are traditional at the funeral home we are instead arranging for donations to be accepted for a legacy for Michael. Details to be posted no later than Tuesday.
Thank you for all the notes of condolences. Your words mean so much to us.
Funeral with reception to follow
Saturday February 14th 1 pm
St. Clement's Anglican Church
59 Briar Hill Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
For details and directions http://www.stclements-church.org/contact.html
Visitation
Thursday February 12th 5 - 8 pm
Friday February 13th 2 - 4 pm and 6 - 8 pm
at Morley Bedford Funeral Services Home
159 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
For details and directions http://www.morleybedford.ca/contact.html
While we know flowers are traditional at the funeral home we are instead arranging for donations to be accepted for a legacy for Michael. Details to be posted no later than Tuesday.
Thank you for all the notes of condolences. Your words mean so much to us.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Great Fight
We were due to write you on Wednesday but things progressed rapidly to a very unstable condition. On Wednesday night we didn't leave the hospital until 11 pm, and had to return 4 hours later.
At this point Michael was requiring full ventilation support again which means he was no longer breathing on his own and was suffering from numerous complications. The decision was made to sedate him in order to keep him comfortable. The ICU at Toronto General left no stone unturned. They used every available medical option to stabilize and improve his condition.
We typically associate bravery with valiant efforts on the battlefield but in Michael's case the fight was fought from a hospital bed. He was the bravest man, fighting every complication that arose so that he could return to his family.
On Friday February 6th with his family surroundng him, we all accepted that the struggle was too much. We encouraged Michael to make his own decision so that the doctors and machinery didn't have to do it for him.
He received the Final Anointing and we sang his favourite hymns. Steph and Kate sang Hansel and Gretel's "Evening Prayer", Vaughn William's "God Bless the Master" and Glick's "Pslam 23". And of course, there was Bach.
Michael passed away in the afternoon. His remarkable bravery and love will impact us for the rest of our lives.
We are currently making funeral arrangements and we will post the details as soon as possible.
At this point Michael was requiring full ventilation support again which means he was no longer breathing on his own and was suffering from numerous complications. The decision was made to sedate him in order to keep him comfortable. The ICU at Toronto General left no stone unturned. They used every available medical option to stabilize and improve his condition.
We typically associate bravery with valiant efforts on the battlefield but in Michael's case the fight was fought from a hospital bed. He was the bravest man, fighting every complication that arose so that he could return to his family.
On Friday February 6th with his family surroundng him, we all accepted that the struggle was too much. We encouraged Michael to make his own decision so that the doctors and machinery didn't have to do it for him.
He received the Final Anointing and we sang his favourite hymns. Steph and Kate sang Hansel and Gretel's "Evening Prayer", Vaughn William's "God Bless the Master" and Glick's "Pslam 23". And of course, there was Bach.
Michael passed away in the afternoon. His remarkable bravery and love will impact us for the rest of our lives.
We are currently making funeral arrangements and we will post the details as soon as possible.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Day 23 and Holding His Own
Let me begin with remarking on the incredible kindness and generosity of our wonderful neighbours, friends and family. From all 5 of the Applin Girls, our special thanks for looking after our well-being, along with your supportive wishes for Michael!
Today was such a beautiful sunny and mild day (around 0 degrees C/32 degrees F) that we brought in Michael's glasses and he read for himself your wonderful get-well cards and wishes. The nurses in ICU encouraged us to display them for him to see and we did. The room is now as cheery as the sunny day!
As you know from this blog, Michael's two sisters Lesley and Heather are here with us from England, having arrived January 8th for his false alarm call. As frustrating as that visit began for them, the timing gave us all three great days to visit together with Michael, who by then had already been in Toronto General Hospital for 6 weeks. On Sunday morning at 6:30am Michael received the call that they had a set of lungs for him!!
Now here we are together, almost one full month later, and I don't think we three (Steph, Kate and I ) could imagine a day without the 'Aunties'. Sadly for us, they leave us on Saturday Morning, February 7th to return to their husbands and family.....I am not quite sure what life will look like here without 'My Sisters' in my daily life and this amazing mutual support system we have created. It must be like a parallel universe for them....new house, new kitchen, new friends (we see daily in the waiting room) and a stunning amount of snow to shovel, dress for and negotiate every day. I know we will miss them terribly and only hope they can find a way to be back with us very, very soon.
We are all grateful to their husbands, Peter and Trevor, for taking on all the responsibilities in England so that Heather and Lesley could focus on Toronto and Michael. Thanks also to their great colleagues where they work for their friendship and encouragement to stay on in Canada to see their brother through this marathon. We know it has been such an important part of his recovery.
With the determination you'd expect from him, Michael is making baby-steps forward...toward the day he can leave the Intensive Care Unit and move on to the Lung Transplant Step-down Unit. That is our immediate target. I know you are all cheering him on! xoxo
Today was such a beautiful sunny and mild day (around 0 degrees C/32 degrees F) that we brought in Michael's glasses and he read for himself your wonderful get-well cards and wishes. The nurses in ICU encouraged us to display them for him to see and we did. The room is now as cheery as the sunny day!
As you know from this blog, Michael's two sisters Lesley and Heather are here with us from England, having arrived January 8th for his false alarm call. As frustrating as that visit began for them, the timing gave us all three great days to visit together with Michael, who by then had already been in Toronto General Hospital for 6 weeks. On Sunday morning at 6:30am Michael received the call that they had a set of lungs for him!!
Now here we are together, almost one full month later, and I don't think we three (Steph, Kate and I ) could imagine a day without the 'Aunties'. Sadly for us, they leave us on Saturday Morning, February 7th to return to their husbands and family.....I am not quite sure what life will look like here without 'My Sisters' in my daily life and this amazing mutual support system we have created. It must be like a parallel universe for them....new house, new kitchen, new friends (we see daily in the waiting room) and a stunning amount of snow to shovel, dress for and negotiate every day. I know we will miss them terribly and only hope they can find a way to be back with us very, very soon.
We are all grateful to their husbands, Peter and Trevor, for taking on all the responsibilities in England so that Heather and Lesley could focus on Toronto and Michael. Thanks also to their great colleagues where they work for their friendship and encouragement to stay on in Canada to see their brother through this marathon. We know it has been such an important part of his recovery.
With the determination you'd expect from him, Michael is making baby-steps forward...toward the day he can leave the Intensive Care Unit and move on to the Lung Transplant Step-down Unit. That is our immediate target. I know you are all cheering him on! xoxo
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Hare and the Tortoise
The moral of the story is slow and steady wins the race. Though Mike wants to be the hare (and that's where his head is at right now) he needs to be the tortoise.
He is alert for longer periods of time and starting some basic physio (by physio we mean being lifted into a chair and sitting upright instead of being in bed). He still tires quickly but we know he is building up his energy to tell us loads of stories soon.
Mike has been sporting various hairstyles these past couple weeks as his different nurses test out their styling prowess. Anne-Marie's favourite is the slicked back, Italian style 'do. It is quite becoming!
He is alert for longer periods of time and starting some basic physio (by physio we mean being lifted into a chair and sitting upright instead of being in bed). He still tires quickly but we know he is building up his energy to tell us loads of stories soon.
Mike has been sporting various hairstyles these past couple weeks as his different nurses test out their styling prowess. Anne-Marie's favourite is the slicked back, Italian style 'do. It is quite becoming!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Weekend Update
After two weeks of crisis managment and owing to the exceptional care of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Toronto General Hospital (TGH), we are relieved that Mike has had two calm days in a row.
We are hopeful that he will continue to make progress.
For the moment only immediate family may visit, however as he begins to come out of sedation we are reading him your messages of love and support.
We are hopeful that he will continue to make progress.
For the moment only immediate family may visit, however as he begins to come out of sedation we are reading him your messages of love and support.
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