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Sunflowers will grow every year to help Canuck Place

Hill-Davie family wants their son Owen to present cheque
sunflowers for owen
The goal is to raise $30,000 for Canuck Hospice, and to make the fundraiser an annual event.

The fields are awash in sunshine, which is helping Owen Davie with growing his own donation to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Owen came out of hospice in April so he could spend his final days at home.

In May, he was still going strong, said mom Stephanie Hill Davie, in a recent Facebook post.

Now, by selling a field of sunflowers, Owen can give back to Canuck Place, the “one place that has supported him and his family on this journey of life,” Stephanie said.

The Optimist has profiled Owen Hill Davie and his family numerous times. Some of his medical issues include being unable to sit up, walk or stand due to low muscle tone, airway issues and feeding difficulties. He is also non-verbal.

He’s now 11 years old, and weighs 15 pounds. 

“My son is actively dying. It’s been day-to-day. We’re hopeful that he’ll be here to see these sunflowers make it out,” Stephanie said Tuesday. “But we hope that he’ll get to hold the big cheque, if he makes it that long.”

Last year, after donating flowers to seniors’ homes, Stephanie had a dream about growing an entire field of sunflowers and donating the proceeds to Canuck Place.

She mentioned that to a woman who was donating flowers for a seniors project and soon Stephanie heard back that the company the woman works for, Ball Seed Company, was giving her 15,000 sunflower seeds, for free.

This year’s wet spring stalled the planting schedule, but eventually all the seeds got into the soil on the family farm and the result is a field of waving, smiling sunflowers.

Those sunflowers will be ready to sell next week and Stephanie would welcome any help in cutting and wrapping the flowers, so that Owen can then sell them.

The goal is to raise $30,000 for Canuck Hospice, and to make the fundraiser an annual event.

“This is the way Owen can leave his mark on the world, is by spreading joy, spreading kindness,” Stephanie said.

Anybody that wants to order, can comment on Facebook, message Stephanie directly or email or e-transfer at: hopebloomsdelta@gmail.com

There also will be other locations to buy the flowers.

People also can go directly to Canuck Place and donate there as well.

“I just can’t stress enough how wonderful this community has been to our family,” Stephanie said.