Tears welled up in Amber Dyck’s eyes as she stood on her front porch peering out at nearly 200 people singing Christmas hymns on her driveway and front lawn last Wednesday.
“We never expected this many people,” her husband Jeff told The Local, his own eyes becoming watery. “We thought maybe there would be ten people. Then we heard the word was spreading so we thought maybe a couple dozen would show up. This is just overwhelming.”
The gathering was in support of their 15-year-old daughter Megan. She was born with Trisomy 8, a rare genetic condition causing both intellectual and physical disabilities, and was diagnosed last year with a form of cancer called clear cell carcinoma. Despite undergoing a litany of treatments since then, she was recently told the cancer had spread and has begun palliative care.
It was Amber’s friend Alisha Hardie who came up with the idea of inviting carollers to the Dycks’ Virgil home to bring joy to the family for Christmas.
After Joe Pillitteri mobilized a mini-tractor parade past the Dycks’ house in late November, Hardie wanted to do something for the family. So she enlisted friends Erin Newton and Rhonda Corris-Collee to help her get the ball rolling.
“Amber is a very good friend of ours,” said Hardie. “We’re kind of a support group of mothers of children with special needs. We’ve all grown our children up together and they are all very good friends. We wanted to help out the family by bringing them some Christmas cheer.”
Their children had all been involved in Tomorrow’s Voices, a barrier-free, audition-free non-profit choir for kids who love to sing led by music therapist Mendelt Hoekstra. The trio contacted Hoekstra, who enlisted three musicians and put the word out about the visit to the family’s home.
“I have always had a soft spot for Megan,” Hoekstra said. “Alisha asked me to help, so I put it out to my choir friends, who in turn put it out to their choir friends, and it just caught on. I think I knew about 80 of the people here. There’s probably over a hundred people here who don’t even know Megan.”
Before conducting the makeshift choir for its first hymn, Away in a Manger, Hoekstra climbed atop a chair in front of the family’s garage and turned to the Dyck family.
“Megan, all these people here think that you are awesome,” enthused Hoekstra. “We are here to sing some cheer for you. I think it’s really cool that all these people here love you, and I love you, and thank you Jeff and Amber for having us here.”
The musicians started playing and the assembled singers consulted their music sheets, printed and distributed by Hardie, or brought up the lyrics on their phones. The crowd continued swelling as the music spread across the neighbouring Cherry St. houses.
Megan, Jeff and Amber watched from the slightly higher vantage point of their front porch, clearly overjoyed by the singing. Friends and neighbours periodically approached the family to give hugs and let Megan, who absolutely loves animals, say hello to their dogs.
After eight more songs, it was time to wrap things up with Silent Night. Just before that, though, Amber took the time to address the crowd.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming here tonight," she said through tears, “and reminding us that even in the darkest places there is beauty and love and light. Thank you all for being here, we really appreciate it.”
“We love you Amber,” many in the crowd shouted back. “Merry Christmas.”
As the singers began to disperse, Jeff reflected on what it all meant to him and his family, including sons Griffin and Hudson.
“I can’t imagine a more giving and generous community than the one that we live in,” he marvelled. “We’ve been overwhelmed so many times by the support of our neighbours and friends and so many people who don’t even know us. It’s an amazing place to be.”
with files from Penny Coles
