A smile to remember: How Lambton paramedics are granting final wishes

The Sarnia Journal has partnered with local photographer Art Connolly to feature his captivating “Humans of Sarnia” series as he delves into the lives and experiences of everyday people in Sarnia.

For the past 24 years, Sherry Tupholme has served the residents of Lambton County as a paramedic. She has responded to emergencies, comforted families during difficult moments, and dedicated her career to helping others. But some of her most meaningful work happens outside of her regular shifts through an organization she helped build called A Smile to Remember.

A Smile to Remember is a volunteer, paramedic-based organization that grants palliative patients one final outing of their choice in Sarnia-Lambton. Patients are often referred through the palliative care team at Bluewater Health.

"If the patient is in palliative care, whether it be in hospital or hospice, the nurses all know about our program and if it is a good fit they will tell the family," Sherry explains. "It must be the patient's wish and not the family's."

The program is designed for patients who are unable to sit in a regular vehicle or who require specialized medications, monitoring, or equipment that would otherwise make an outing impossible.

The idea was first introduced in 2019 when fellow paramedic Steve Adlington approached his colleagues with a vision of helping palliative patients experience one final meaningful moment outside of a healthcare setting. A call-out was sent to Lambton County for paramedics to gauge interest.

Sherry immediately saw the potential.

"I jumped right on it," she recalls.

Her role was to research how the program could operate. What she discovered surprised her.

"I reached out to a bunch of different Wish programs and discovered that there were no paramedic-based programs in North America. I reached out to a whole bunch of other Wish programs to see how their programs ran and from there I took their best ideas and kind of pieced it together."

The original model involved volunteers meeting patients and families ahead of time to create familiarity before the wish day arrived. Then COVID changed everything. Face-to-face introductions were no longer possible, forcing volunteers to adapt while continuing to serve patients safely.

When the program launched, organizers posted a sign-up sheet for volunteers.

The response was overwhelming.

That first call attracted 60 paramedics willing to donate their personal time to help fulfill wishes.

Today, when a request comes in, a mass text is sent to employees seeking volunteers. One important requirement remains unchanged: volunteers must be employees of Lambton County Paramedic Services.

"We've had a lot of people reach out like nurses and PSWs," Sherry says. "But unfortunately, we've had to turn them down because of insurance purposes and liability."

The wishes themselves range from large community events to simple family moments.

One story from the pandemic remains especially memorable.

"It was a gentleman who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he wanted to go home for his birthday."

What followed was something nobody expected.

"There ended up being a parade of 200 cars that went by his house wishing him a happy birthday."

The impact of that day still resonates. When Sherry meets newly hired paramedics during orientation, she often shares a video from that wish as a way of explaining the program's purpose and the difference it can make.

Other wishes are quieter but no less meaningful.

"There are some big events and then there are some that are simply to be with family," she says. "One gentleman wanted to go home and just decorate a tree with his family one last time."

A common request reflects a unique Sarnia tradition.

"Fries under the bridge."

Sherry says local businesses have been incredibly supportive.

"Albert's/Susie's Ice Cream has been great. Whenever I walk in, they say, 'You're the wish lady!' And they always donate food and always give to the crew as well."

For the volunteers, every wish brings a mix of emotions.

"It's all for the feelings that you feel. You feel sad because you know that this is the last thing this person is going to do like this, but you feel proud that you are making this happen. You're happy because you're watching it happen."

The program's success has not gone unnoticed. Since A Smile to Remember began in Sarnia-Lambton, four other counties have adopted similar programs based on the model Sherry and her colleagues helped create.

Sherry's own path to becoming a paramedic wasn't straightforward.

As a single mother at age 25, she decided to return to school to build a better future. She enrolled in Medical Administration but quickly realized it wasn't for her.

"I was sitting in the classroom doing some transcription class or something. It was boring," she laughed. "I looked out the window and saw an ambulance screaming by with its lights and sirens and thought, I want to do that."

She enrolled at St. Clair College in Windsor, graduated, and began a career that has now spanned nearly a quarter century.

Listening to Sherry speak, it becomes clear that A Smile to Remember is about far more than transportation. It is about restoring dignity, creating memories, and giving patients one final opportunity to experience something meaningful on their own terms.

It is also a reminder of the remarkable people serving our community.

Most of us think of paramedics as the professionals who arrive during life's emergencies. We see the lights, hear the sirens, and trust that they will be there when we need them most. What we don't often see are the countless hours they volunteer outside of their shifts, giving up personal time with their own families to help complete strangers create one last cherished memory.

The paramedics behind A Smile to Remember receive no pay for these outings. They volunteer because they care. They volunteer because they understand that sometimes the greatest form of medicine isn't a treatment or procedure—it's helping someone spend one final afternoon with family, enjoy fries under the bridge, celebrate a birthday, or simply go home one last time.

Founded by Steve Adlington Jeff Brooks and Sherry Tupholme, A Smile to Remember began with a simple but powerful vision: helping palliative patients experience one final meaningful outing with dignity and compassion. Today, that vision continues through the dedication of program coordinators Sherry Tupholme, Amanda Klazinga, and Emily Frewin, along with the many paramedics who volunteer their time to make these special journeys possible. Thanks to their collective efforts, Lambton County has something truly remarkable to be proud of.

These are professionals who do far more than respond to emergencies. They go above and beyond, offering compassion when it is needed most and proving that even at the end of life, a simple wish can leave a lasting impact.

And for the families who receive that gift, it is truly a smile to remember.

Humans of Sarnia founder Art Connolly is a man fuelled by curiosity and a passion for connecting with people in Sarnia. Inspired by the renowned “Humans of New York” series, with a camera in hand, he captures the very essence of the individuals he encounters, preserving their stories through his lens. Follow his series at the Humans of Sarnia website and on Facebook.