MARCH 10 2010
Doug Froese's Speech

Thank you for inviting me here to give some background on Matthew's House and to talk about how this house will help disabled children and their supporting families in Abbotsford and the surrounding areas.

My name is Doug Froese and I am the father of Matthew. Our family - my wife Andrea and our kids which also include Mya who is 6 and Hudsen who is 5 are part of the Abbotsford community. I work in the area, our kids go to MEI and Mountain Elementary and we live in Bradner.

You may have seen the article in the Abbotsford News yesterday. I'll try not to duplicate too much from what was said there but there may be some overlap.

It's interesting how your view of events that take place in your life change as time passes. I remember the night of Matthew's birth on October 11, 2000 like it was yesterday. His birth was complicated and he was without oxygen for a long period of time. As a result he suffered significant injuries that left him with a severe form of cerebral palsy. He cannot speak, eat on his own or move voluntarily. He is completely dependent on others for his daily needs - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To be honest at the time and in the months that followed Andrea and I wondered what the purpose of Matthew's life was. How can a child who cannot say anything and who takes significant time and resources to care for contribute to society?

Well we are talking about Matthew's House today because of Matthew. He is the inspiration behind the project and the hope that this house will help other children like Matthew and the families that support them.

It is a reality of life that raising a disabled child is a very difficult and draining task. Families of disabled children are often left exhausted and strained to their limits. Unfortunately many disabled children are raised by single parents - the result of marriages falling apart because of this strain.

It is for this reason that the dream of Matthew's House took shape. For a number of years we had thought of starting a respite house to help families like ours in our local area. When Matt started going to Canuck Place about 5 years ago we saw the positive impact it had not only on Matt's life but on our family's well being as well. So about 3 years ago we sold our house in Mountain Village and moved to 2 acres in Bradner. Our thought at the time was to eventually convert the existing house into a respite facility.

We met with the people at Communitas (formerly MCC Supportive Care) to discuss our dream and to talk to them about managing the facility. They eagerly embraced our dream and partnered with us in making the dream a reality. They too knew that Matthew's House would be meeting a need in the community.

In the three years since our initial discussions with Communitas the dream has grown and evolved and we are so grateful. It has changed from a converted house in the country to a brand new facility in the City, adjacent to the new hospital. We are also partnering with two great organizations, CP and Abbotsford Hospice to create an entity that will be unique, not only to Abbotsford and the lower mainland but to all of Canada. The Campus of Care will provide end of life care and respite care for both adults and children in Abbotsford and throughout BC. Matthew's House will provide the respite care for these impacted children and families. We know, and CP has done the research on this, that the great majority of kids and families needing this type of respite support live on this side of the bridge. We also know that the need is vastly larger than what in house respite and CP can presently handle or address. Our great advances in medicine and post natal care mean that a lot of these children are living long lives. Had Matthew been born even 10 years ago he most likely wouldn't have survived.

The respite care provided by Matthew's House will allow the children to come to a place that feels like home - giving them comfort and care from trained professionals. It will also allow families time to recharge (go on a vacation, rest, etc) - all the time knowing that their child is being loved and cared by staff and volunteers.

Our family has been blessed to have a number of angels come into Matthew's life. We have a support family that give us relief - and treat him like one of their own. His teacher, Julie Schwass at Mountain Elementary goes above and beyond the normal duties of a teacher. CP gives exceptional care and guidance. We never worry when Matt spends time there.

We want to duplicate this love and care at Matthew's House. It is our desire to have a House that combines exceptional care with love and warmth. A place that gives much needed support to kids and families who need it the most. Our intention is to begin construction a year from now, and we will spend the next year or so raising funds. Our preliminary construction budget is set at 2M. We will hold a gala this fall, and we are also raffling off a 65 Mustang. The draw for this car will be held at the Christmas Tree lighting in December.

There are brochures on your table. If you would like to make a donation to Matthew's House please phone the number on the pamphlet, or visit www.mattshouse.ca. Every dollar makes a difference.

Once again I would like to thank you for inviting me here to share our story. I appreciate the time. We look forward to Matthew's House being a part of this community for many years to come.

Call: 604-850-6608 or Email: office@CommunitasCare.com
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