65-year-old Elizabeth Brownlee, who goes by Liz, is leaving Providence Transitional Care Centre (PTCC) with her mark inscribed on the office door of Food and Nutrition Services.
The door is completely covered with weeks of beautiful watercolour paintings on her meal tickets. A ‘thank you’ to the team that she says did more than keep her well-fed.
“Food Services staff don’t realize how much they’re helping,” explains Liz. “How much the smile, the conversation, the good food they’re delivering, the effort they’re putting in to learn what I like and make sure I get that; It gave me my humanity. The Food Services team brings humanity to people.”
Liz arrived at PTCC after a bad fall left her with a compression fracture in her knee and torn muscles in her shoulders and arms.
“It was a spectacular fall,” laughs Liz, “but I got zero points on the landing. As I went down, my kids told me later they heard a snap, snap, snap like bubble wrap.”
Liz was unable to walk and was transferred to PTCC to begin her rehabilitation journey to rebuild her strength and regain her mobility to return home.
“My analogy is that I’m a jigsaw puzzle. When I arrived, I wasn’t myself. The staff at Providence Transitional Care Centre had a bunch of pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and they didn’t have the picture on the box about what it was supposed to look like, and honestly, I had forgotten what it was supposed to look like, too,” she says tearing up. “After a while, pieces of myself fell back into place; only I wasn’t the one putting them there; it was this program.”
Recreation Therapy staff introduced Liz to painting with watercolor, something she said she had never done before. It didn’t take long for it to become her new hobby, a way for her to relax and bring joy to others at the same time.
“I started painting on the meal tickets because the paper was the right kind of card stock to take the paint. But even after I had sketch paper and better supplies brought to me, I continued to paint on the meal tickets so that I could express my appreciation. There was never a day I wasn’t fed, never a day it wasn’t nutritious, never a day I wasn’t smiled at, never a day I wasn’t asked if I needed help. Saying thank you was important to me.”
The team behind patient meals at Providence Care is a large one. Food needs to be ordered, organized, prepared, assembled, and delivered. Meals are prepared by Red Seal chefs at Providence Care Hospital and delivered to PTCC.
“When patients have time to eat without feeling rushed and have meaningful moments with our nutrition staff, it supports both their nutrition and mental well-being,” says Director of Food, Nutrition, Logistics and Transportation Paula Ormsbee.
“Good food and connection truly make a difference and can even shorten a patient’s stay,” she adds.
The women behind taking patients’ orders, learning preferences and offering a friendly smile at the bedside at PTCC are Logistics and Nutrition Assistants Lori Da Silva and Lynn Barkley.
“It’s so nice that she took the time to say thank you like this and that every day she takes the time to paint for us,” says Lori. “It’s really meaningful and makes us feel appreciated.”
“Liz’s artwork and words of gratitude bring us to tears,” adds Paula. “It’s a powerful reminder of our mission and the heart our team brings to every meal.”
Liz’s paintings are inspired by nature. She often paints flowers but is also inspired by her interactions with the nutrition staff.
“I have a gnome tattoo, and Liz and I had a conversation about it one day,” explains Lynn. “One day after that conversation, Liz painted some gnomes. I would always find myself hurrying to collect Liz’s tray to see what she painted for us,” she laughs.
After two months in hospital, Liz is heading home with a new hobby, filled with gratitude for the countless staff who worked together to help her recover well.
“My surgeon said my recovery is beyond what he expected to see, says Liz. “He said I could not have gotten this positive of a result with [just] surgery, that my progress and recovery was beyond what he was expecting to see. He referred to this program at PTCC as a ‘magic black box’ where people go in and then come out the other side so much better.”
The “magic” is in the skill and compassion of the physicians, staff, students and volunteers of Providence Care, who come together every day to provide exceptional care.
“This is the fall that could have made me the old lady who doesn’t leave her house, or it could have landed me with a cane or in long-term care. But now, I’m going home, and I get to go back to work, get back to my kids and grandkids, get back to my life.”
Although Liz is leaving Providence Care as a patient, her warmth and gratitude will continue to be felt. Through her thoughtful paintings and her plans to return as a volunteer, she’s leaving a lasting impression on the people who supported her recovery.
You, too, can make a meaningful difference. Join the Providence Care team and help shape moments that matter for those we serve in hospital, community, long-term care and hospice. With opportunities for every skill and experience level, your next chapter starts here. Apply today!
