Rachel

Friday October 3, 2008 -- Members of CNLA and Landscape Ontario came together last week to grant the wish of a 6 year old's wish to have a butterfly garden of her own. Rachel was diagnosed with eye cancer at the age of 4 and had to have left eye removed and lost hearing in her left ear. She was referred to the Make-a-Wish Foundation last year with the hopes that the experience of a wish would help lift her spirits.

Rachel had no intentions of meeting Mickey Mouse or wanted a new computer or wanted to be a princess. She is a nature lover and expressed a genuine interest for her own butterfly garden. When her wish granters asked what she would like in her butterfly garden, she said "a rock to sit on, a bridge over some water and a path to ride my bike on, and some plants to attract butterflies.

Certified Landscape Designer, Beth Edney was called to see if she was interested in working on this project and of course Beth agreed. The plan was developed and presented to Rachel. Several contractors and suppliers came together and donated a generous amount of time and material to the cause in order make Rachel's wish a reality.

"Rachel expressed it best when she told me that the butterfly garden does not erase the memories of all she's been through, but it does replace them," Dana (Rachel's mom) said in her heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who crowded into the garden open house this week. "She's absolutely right. You've given us brand new happy memories of smiles and laughter and selflessness, not to mention, flowers and butterflies." "Thank you for replacing the worst experience in our lives with the best thing that's ever happened to this family."

Now Rachel is counting the days until summer and her first monarch sightings. "It's even better than I ever thought. I love it," she exclaims before she's gone again, daring you to chase her through her arc of water. While over her garden gate, her giggles float like butterflies.



Rachel now has a place to go and forget about her painful experiences and enjoy herself in her new garden. Green spaces provide many benefits and enhancing the quality of our lives is just one of them. This green space created an experience that a 6 year old girl will never forget. It has replaced her painful cancer treatment memories with joyful happy ones that will remain with her for years to come.

To learn more about the benefits of green spaces, click here.

The following companies were instrumental in making Rachel's wish a reality:

• Designs by the Yard
  
• Turf Care Products Canada
• Ryan Heath Professional Landscaping
• Caterpillar Canada
• Battlefield Equipment Rentals
• Cypress Hill Landscaping
• Caledon Hills Perennials
• Envy Irrigation
• Armstrong Landscaping
• Creative Gardens
• Fiona's Garden Gate
• Urban Landscape Solutions
• EDCO Electric
• Doherty Construction
• Humber Nurseries
• Terra Nurseries
• Iron Soul
• PAO Horticultural
• Graves Oak Tree Care
• The D'Hollander Family
• The Rowan Family
• The Rice Family
• Melo Landscaping
• Home Depot
• Wash 'n Go Car Wash
• Permacon
• Water Arts
• Dufferin Aggregates
• Salivan Landscape
• Gro-Bark Ltd
• Sheridan Nurseries
• OASE
• Parkview Building Supply
  
• Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association
• Canadian Nursery Landscape Association