Pictured: The QEII's new Sunshine Room, opened in Spring 2025, is a donor-funded space offering free services tailored to QEII cancer patients
A compassionate, quiet space to recharge and connect with peers is bringing brightness to cancer patients at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
The QEII’s donor-funded and volunteer-led Sunshine Room offers patients and their loved ones a sanctuary where they can rest and recharge between cancer treatments.
Surrounded by supportive people and services tailored for those facing a cancer diagnosis, the history of this special room started nearly 25 years ago.
Emmie Luther-Hiltz, living in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, remembers the first days of the Sunshine Room well.
A breast cancer survivor herself, Emmie worked with Cancer Care Nova Scotia to help bring the original Sunshine Room to life alongside the late Helen Densmore-Cleary, a young, married mother of three facing an advanced cancer diagnosis who first dreamed of it.
“Helen wanted a place in the Cancer Centre where cancer patients could feel comfortable, cared for and learn ways to relax while dealing with the stress of a cancer diagnosis,” Emmie says.
Describing Helen as “lovely and full of life,” Emmie remembers how Helen’s vision shaped what would become a cherished place of comfort. Early volunteers – many of whom had their own cancer experiences – offered services such as massage therapy, reiki, therapeutic touch, and wig fittings.
Helen lived long enough to see her dream realized at the first official opening of the Sunshine Room.
“She will always be the heart and soul of the program,” says Emmie.
And Helen’s idea was a smashing success. Patients were quick to leave glowing reviews in the room’s comment book about how meaningful the space was to them.
The Sunshine Room went on to inspire hospitals across the province and was presented nationally as an example of compassionate, patient-centered care.
After four years, Cancer Care Nova Scotia transferred responsibility for the Sunshine Room to the QEII’s Cancer Centre, and it continued running uninterrupted for many years.
“Developing the Sunshine Room was the highlight of my career,” says Emmie.
Today, the Sunshine Room continues to be a bright spot for QEII cancer patients. After it shut down to reclaim critical treatment space during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in Spring 2025 in a new location at the QEII’s Victoria General building.
This newly renovated, thoughtfully designed space is located away from the stress of treatment, and carries forward Helen’s vision, offering a therapeutic place for cancer patients and their support persons.
Volunteer-led services continue free-of-cost for patients, including massage therapy, reiki, touch therapy, reflexology, wigs and wig fittings, and light refreshments.
And it’s all possible thanks to donor generosity.
Gilles Nault, living in Hubley, Nova Scotia, recently provided a generous $4,000 gift to the QEII Foundation for the QEII’s new Sunshine Room. His support is rooted in a deep connection with the QEII through the care journey of his late wife, Darla.
Gilles first met Darla 31 years ago. She lived with a rare autoimmune disorder – so rare that it was unnamed and she was only the third known case worldwide at the time of her diagnosis.
Darla had to have an extended stay at the QEII’s Halifax Infirmary as the disorder attacked her lungs, leaving her with only one left at 85 per cent capacity to live on.
“The rest of her life, she was always a medical mystery,” Gilles explains. “Whenever something would happen, it was a guessing game of sorts because no one knew enough about her disease yet.”
The one constant about Darla’s medical care, however, was the level of excellence, compassion, and commitment provided by her QEII care teams.
Gilles explains that their experience at the QEII went beyond medical treatment, as he and Darla built lasting bonds with the medical professionals caring for her.
For over 20 years, Darla received incredible care from the QEII’s Respirology Department and respirologist Dr. Nancy Morrison. Gilles explains that Dr. Morrison didn’t just treat Darla as a patient, but as a whole person, with care that was highly personalized and heartfelt. Dr. Morrison even called Darla during difficult flare-ups to personally reassure, update and provide further care for her.
Dr. Morrison also offered medical reassurance when Darla and Gilles decided to adopt children, and watched their kids grow up as Darla brought them along to appointments.
When Darla was later diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, the care provided by the QEII never wavered.
“The staff and nurses were amazing,” Gilles shares. “They reviewed volumes of her medical records and the level of compassion seemed so evident.”
Today, Gilles still goes back to visit the QEII each year on the anniversary of Darla’s passing to give staff gifts of home baking to express his thanks. And now, he has given back in another special way through his recent gift in Darla’s memory towards the QEII’s new Sunshine Room.
“To me, the QEII is all about people who care and sacrifice to make a difference, making people’s lives better beyond trying to heal diseases and fix people's injuries,” he says, echoing the sentiment and heart of the Sunshine Room.
Thanks to the generosity of our donor community, the Sunshine Room continues to support cancer patients when they need it most.
Emmie is thrilled that this incredibly special space endures today.
“Having cancer treatment is hard. Even on your family members. When people come to the Sunshine Room, they feel cared for, and that was Helen’s biggest wish,” Emmie says.
“I’m so happy that has continued.”
