Bonga (age 15) - November 24, 2007

The youngest patient in the Dream Centre proved to be the most challenging for me to connect with.  For over 3 weeks, I have frequently stopped by his room to say hello, or to pick him up for Bingo or movie night.  Many days I would spend a few moments with him at the 6th Floor entrance chair he frequently occupied.  From this vantage point he could monitor everyone arriving and departing on the elevator, but generally spent most of his time sharing blankly out the window at the fast moving world below.  Near the end of the first week I pointed to the small Canadian flag I had pinned on my shirt that day and asked Bonga if he knew what country it belonged to.  His blank look at me seemed empty of life.  The following day I asked him again, while removing the pin and handing it to him.  Again, he didn’t answer but I told him it was Canada.  I indicated he should pin it on his pyjamas, which he slowly did.  The following day I pointed at the pin, which he had now  transferred to his clean pyjamas, and asked what country, and Bonga spoke his first word to me – he mumbled ‘India’.  So happy that he had spoken to me, I replied, ‘Almost Bonga, it’s Canada’.  From that day on, I got a clear reply of ‘Canada’ whenever we greeted in the hall!

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