Some students in New Brunswick are writing letters to cancer patients in an effort to inspire hope, but the students say they too are getting something out of the exercise.
The Grade 8 students at Riverview Middle School say they were inspired to start the project after reading about a teen who had cancer.
“We were reading from a textbook and there is this story about a 16-year-old girl. She had cancer,” explains student Katie Gosse. “She was about to go in for chemotherapy but she lost hope.”
The students decided they wanted to write letters to cancer patients at the Moncton Hospital, with hope and beauty being the main themes of their project.
“They may feel insecure about themselves but even though they may feel insecure, I want them to know that they are still beautiful inside and out,” says student Aneesia Wilson.
The projected was supported by teacher Sandra Landers, who says the topic really hit home for some of her students.
“Remembering losing parents, siblings, grandparents to cancer, so we did have some tears in the beginning when they were thinking about what they wanted to write,” says Landers.
A head nurse in the hospital’s oncology unit says they receive a surprising number of requests from people wanting to reach out to cancer patients, but they have never had a request as specific as a letter-writing campaign.
Psychologist Charles Emmrys says it’s a good way to approach a serious issue.
“They are not yet aware of what it means to have a terminal illness, that life has some finality to it, and so it is going to be an exploration for them,” says Emmrys. “It’s going to be raising a lot of questions.”
The letters of hope will be delivered this week.
“I hope it makes their day,” says Gosse.
“Hopefully they will continue doing that as an adult and continue giving back to our community,” says Landers.
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell
