Remembering Brian’s laughter

Raymond Pierce
Oct 24, 2021
3 min read

Updated: May 25, 2023

By Raymond Pierce

My true story that inspired me to be passionate about bringing Joy and Laughter to the residents of Health Care Centers.

Brian was born April 7, 1959 in Saint John NB.

I was a teenager when Brian was born. Because his family lived on the third floor flat above us at 45 Metcalf St., and because our mothers were best friends, our families saw a lot of each other and we were close.

Then in 1962, I moved away and I only saw Brian occasionally until August of 2016.

By then Brian was a patient in the Saint John Regional Hospital suffering through the final stages of ALS (Amotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

His mother Eleanor, and step-father George, explained to me at lunch that Brian had lost control of most of his body; he was being tube fed directly to his stomach. He could only move his eyes and speak with some effort.

I wanted to see him but I had some concerns about trying to have a conversation.

Later that afternoon, when I walked into Brian’s hospital room, Eleanor and George were already there. Brian’s face lit up when he saw me and that made me relax.

Brian was propped up in one of those new electric wheelchairs that can be elevated and lowered easily, so we were both at eye level while I stood there speaking with him.

During our conversation, Eleanor assisted me in clarifying some of Brian’s occasional slurred words. But I soon found continuing the conversation difficult. It was then that I said, “Brian do you like funny stories?”

“Yes” he said.

“Do you want to hear a funny story?”

“Sure,” he said.

So I told him the Fractured Fairy Tale version of Cinderella and the Handsome Prince known as “Dincerella and the Pandsome Hrince.” Well, Brian laughed all the way through, as did his parents.

Then I said, “Brian do you want to hear another funny story?”

And when he said, “Yes,” I told him another one. He laughed again as did his parents. So I continued to tell one funny story after another and Brian laughed at all of them. So I just kept going. I was on a roll.

Forty-five minutes passed and Brian was still laughing.

Eventually I wound down my stories and said my goodbyes to Brian, Eleanor and George. I had never told stories for forty-five minutes nonstop before.

I returned two days later and told Brian a few more stories. While I was there two of Brian’s sisters, Christine and Karen, arrived and we enjoyed a visit with them.

As months, and then a year passed, I reflected on my wonderful experience with Brian and I began to think maybe I could volunteer to share my stories with more people like him who are living with illness, pain, loneliness and physical limitations in Rehab Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Retirement Homes.

But how should I begin, and where?

I began in November 2017 and since then I’ve entertained groups of residents at 56 various Health Care Centers comprising Rehab Hospitals, Retirement Homes, The Veterans Wing at Sunnybrook Hospital and Nursing Homes.

This includes twice monthly presentations on Zoom at Christie Gardens Retirement Home since May of 2020 where twelve volunteer storytellers from across Canada and the USA have helped me entertain the residents.

Sadly, Brian died in June 2017. He was 58 years old. But I have him to thank for inspiring me to be passionate about my mission to spread joy and laughter: A vacation for the soul.