DAD WHO MIRACULOUSLY MOVED OUT OF HOSPICE MUSKOKA INSPIRED FUNDRAISER

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — Long-term living is a huge challenge with COVID.

John Orchard knows that all too well.

But he’s doing fine at Gravenhurst Manor.

A little mobility problem and “I feel tired,” but otherwise he’s  “doing OK.”

Not bad for an 83-year-old who cheated death before Christmas by moving out of Hospice Muskoka.

He admits he was in bad shape last November when his family moved him into the new palliative care home in Port Carling.

“I don’t remember going in,” he said the other day from his comfortable new digs where he’s been the past two months.

Orchard and his wife, Stella who lives at Muskoka Shores, were stalwarts of the Bala legion and community.

He retired as the yard foreman at Weismiller’s Lumber and they lived just across road on Aberdeen Street near the Bala Curling Club.

So they didn’t have far to go across Hwy. 169 to the legion, where Stella was on the branch executive and worked tirelessly with the Ladies’ Auxiliary.

John was the dutiful husband who tagged along “and would silently work behind the scenes to help in any way he could,” said his son, Fred.

But after a bout of near-fatal sickness in the fall John was miraculously nursed back to health by the helpful hospice caregivers.

And after a month at Andy’s House where they cleaned up his meds — “he seemed to thrive” — and he had to move out to make way for others who needed a final resting place in their waning days.

“I couldn’t go home.”

So it was on to Gravenhurst that his Muskoka housing tour took him next.

And it’s where he’s happily residing looking out the front porch window onto the main street.

Son Fred was so relieved, impressed and inspired by his dad’s resiliency and the life-saving care he got, he decided to do a fund-raiser for the new care home that opened late last year about the time Orchard appeared on his last legs.

The busy cabinet-maker who is booked six months out is a musician in hiatus right now.

“I play every day. But with COVID we can’t get together.”

So the leader of once popular Fred Bread and the Toasters band came up with a novel way before Christmas to say thanks.

He found one of his old band t-shirts on the wall at the Bala Falls Pub where owners Jacinta Cowan and Dave Fisher had it hanging on the wall.

Fred decided to get a couple more made and auction them off.

“It was bit of lark at first,” said the FTB guitarist and front man.

On the back of the black t-shirt he added the sites of a number of gigs where the Bala blues and rockers played in the past.

And together they came up with the idea of selling a few and raffling off the new one.

“I thought we’d raise a few hundred bucks. The goal was $500.”

Little did anyone know how popular the little pub band was.

Tickets were just a buck apiece.

And $6,225 later John Ray had the winning number. He’s the son of former Kee to Bala owner Dave Ray.

Recently Fred presented the cheque to Hospice Muskoka executive director Sandra Winspear, clinical manager Sarah Hudson and director of care and nurse practitioner Donna Kearney.

Meanwhile Fred says he’d like to get the FBT band back together after COVID and maybe raise some more money for local charities.

And an “amazed” John couldn’t be happier for himself, his son and Hospice Muskoka.

Hospice Muskoka, which has been caring for the dying at home and in hospital in south Muskoka since 1995, has 10 beds in Port Carling and 14 staff. You can call them at 705-646-1697 or contact them via email at [email protected]. 

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