'I was shocked that they were willing to go this far': B.C. palliative patient gifted beloved pizza for meaningful meal
After spending more than four months in hospital, Sanjeeve Seeburn and his wife Sandy were thinking back on that “magical” summer day they spent at a rural lavender farm.
“So beautiful,” Sandy Seeburn recalls with a big smile. “So peaceful.”
And the wood-fired pizza they were served there, Sanjeeve says, is the best he ever had.
“It was amazing,” he says from his hospital bed. “I never forgot that flavour.”
Sanjeeve wondered if experiencing it again with Sandy might help them cope with the sudden diagnosis that he was suffering from a rare and aggressive cancer.
“He always say, ‘Be positive. Keep going,’” Sandy says.
So Sanjeeve sent a message to the Bilston Creek lavender farm, which was received by events manager Karen Grundlingh.
“We couldn’t believe what we were reading,” Karen recalls.
Sanjeeve wrote that he was in palliative care, with just weeks to live, and hoped to taste their pizza one last time.
“It’s his wish,” Karen says. “Why wouldn’t we do it?!”
So although it was the off-season and they weren’t serving any food, the staff at Bilston Creek spent two days preparing the outdoor oven that had been dormant all winter, and scrambling to source the ingredients for the handmade dough and fresh toppings to make the pizza Sanjeeve had remembered so fondly.
“It begins with our own tomato sauce,” chef Sandi Iriving says while creating the pizza. “Then mozzarella cheese, kale from our local farmers, artichoke hearts, chicken, and Moroccan olives.”
As Sandi drizzles olive oil and sprinkles salt along the crust to ensure a satisfying last bite, she reveals the pizza’s most important ingredient with a giggle: “Love!”
Sandi was one of a number of people who came in on their day off to grant Sanjeeve’s wish.
Bilston Creek’s owner Andrew Penn provided all the food – plus the 45-minute drive from the farm in Metchosin to the hospital in Victoria – for free.
“I was shocked that they were willing to go this far,” Sanjeeve says, smiling. “I was just ordering a pizza.”
But then again, Sanjeeve says, this is not about pizza — this is about kindness.
He hoped that by sharing his story, others will be inspired to spread kindness too.
“Then the world will be a very better place to live,” Sanjeeve says. “And we can have hope for this world.”
When Karen delivers the pizzas to the hospital room, Sandy greets her with a big hug. Then Sanjeeve opens the box, and takes a moment to relish the aroma, before taking his first bite and giving a thumbs up.
“I don’t have words,” Sandy cries, stroking her husband’s head. “It touched my heart. I am so happy.”
Sanjeeve is so thankful that he could share the pizza with the health-care team that he couldn’t be more grateful for. And thankful that, although a hospital bed in the winter couldn’t be more different than a lavender field in the summer, he could have one more meaningful meal with his beloved Sandy by his side.
“Enjoy every day, every second, every moment you have in your life,” Sanjeeve says. “You never know tomorrow how you’re going to wake up.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.