PRINCE GEORGE 鈥� In the lead-up to the holiday season, 乌鸦传媒 Justice Minister Shirley Bond asked her husband, Bill, what he wanted for Christmas. The answer she received wasn鈥檛 something she could buy, make or provide 鈥� but he got it anyway.
鈥淸My husband] has been dealing with major heart issues since the summer, and I asked him a month or so ago what he wanted for Christmas,鈥� Shirley Bond said Thursday. 鈥淗e said to me, 鈥�;If I had my Christmas wish, it would be to get two new [heart] valves and a bypass.鈥� From that perspective, my husband got his Christmas wish.鈥�
Bill had successful open heart surgery on Dec. 18 and the Bonds spent their Christmas in the cardiac unit at St. Paul鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver.
Shirley Bond, the long-time Prince George-Valemount MLA and current justice minister and attorney general, said the experience showed the couple the Christmas spirit can touch people in many ways. There were gifts from total strangers, hospital staff donning Santa hats while giving holiday greetings and a surprise visit from family in the days after Bill鈥檚 surgery.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 taught us some life lessons about generosity and about gratitude,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淎nd how many, many families go through this at Christmas, and if you haven鈥檛 gone through it, you probably don鈥檛 think much about it.鈥�
After his heart issues in the summer, Bill had been waiting for the crucial surgery for months. Confirmation of the procedure didn鈥檛 come until about a week before, which meant Christmas plans had to be quickly changed.
Shirley and Bill arrived in Vancouver on Dec. 16 for pre-surgery preparations and have been there ever since. The six-hour surgery on Dec. 18 went well and Bill鈥檚 prognosis is good 鈥� although there鈥檚 still a long recovery ahead.
The most challenging part of the holidays came on Christmas Eve, when Bill and Shirley were alone in the hospital. Shirley brought a small Christmas tree from Prince George and a pair of stockings to bring holiday cheer to the room.
鈥淣ormally on Christmas Eve we would spend that evening with our family playing games and doing things that many families do like attending Christmas Eve service,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淭hat was probably the low point for us, feeling very much alone.鈥�
The Bonds were able to forge camaraderie with other families on the cardiac unit, including one from Prince George.
Although the Bonds鈥� children and grandchildren were at home in Prince George and Nanaimo, Shirley and Bill found ways to connect and share Christmas memories.
鈥淚 was so grateful for technology,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淥ur ability to BlackBerry message with our kids 鈥� they sent us pictures of our grandkids on Christmas morning 鈥� and just the ability to get comments from our family and friends from Facebook and Twitter. It鈥檚 amazing how that adds a sense of connectivity. . . . It never replaces having your family around you, but I think I have a whole new appreciation for what it鈥檚 like at Christmas for families going through those types of circumstances.鈥�
Then there were the unexpected Christmas Eve gifts, which the Bonds found very touching. First a couple who had experienced life on the cardiac unit over the holidays in the past came in and gave poinsettias to everyone on the ward.
鈥淚t was just a wonderful gift that they came and they gave back,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淭hey remembered what it was like to be there during the Christmas holidays, that was incredibly touching.鈥�
Then an acquaintance of the Bonds sent up a full turkey dinner with all the fixings to their room.
鈥淢y husband and I had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve basically on his hospital tray,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淚t was very special and we were just so incredibly touched that someone would think about doing that.鈥�
Even the staff at the hotel where Shirley was staying got into the act, putting a small Christmas tree in her room and showing her once again how a little generosity can make a big difference.
The biggest surprise came Boxing Day when the Bonds鈥� children and grandchildren visited.
鈥淥ur little grandson ran into the room and it was so amazing. I haven鈥檛 seen my husband smile that broadly for quite some time,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淭he only thing we had to watch was the hugs had to be very gentle 鈥� hard for a three-year-old.鈥�
The whole experience gave Shirley and her family a new perspective on the holiday season.
鈥淚t was really a chance to far better understand what many other families go through and a deeper sense of gratitude for men and women in health care and first responders 鈥� people who don鈥檛 think twice about working over the Christmas break,鈥� she said.
Given the nature of her job, Shirley Bond had to juggle important ministerial duties in the days leading up to Bill鈥檚 surgery. The day before his surgery, Bond was leading the government鈥檚 response to the Missing Women鈥檚 Commission of Inquiry.
As justice minister, Shirley Bond was given time to review the report by commissioner Wally Opal before its Dec. 17 release.
That morning she had the emotional experience of meeting with a number of the families of the women who were missing or murdered. At that time she didn鈥檛 make public her husband鈥檚 pending surgery because she knew the enormous grief the families of the women were going through couldn鈥檛 compare with the stress she and her family were feeling.
鈥淚t was an extremely emotional period of time for me and for our family,鈥� she said. 鈥淏alancing the work load was very difficult, but I was incredibly well supported by my staff both in Prince George and Victoria.鈥�
Bill also understood why his wife had to work while he was preparing for surgery.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in public office for almost two decades and my husband has been incredibly giving when it comes to time to do the job that I do,鈥� Shirley said.
Bill was released from hospital this week, but the Bonds are staying in the Lower Mainland for now until he has enough strength to travel home to Prince George.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 begin to tell you how excited we are about soon 鈥� hopefully 鈥� being able to fly back home together,鈥� Shirley said.
