When Ionia Nedrick-Lawrence got ready for her shift as a nurse at Trico LivingWell in Calgary, she had no idea that she was about to be rewarded with the surprise of a lifetime.
Most people are familiar with the iconic WestJet Christmas Miracle videos. This year, the theme is “Holiday Heroes,” shining a light on the one-in-four Canadians who will be separated from a loved one over the holidays. The company asked Canadians to nominate who they thought was worthy of a reunion and amidst the entries, Nedrick-Lawrence’s stood out.
Mariam Wilton, who is part of the selection committee at WestJet, said Nedrick-Lawrence was nominated by a family whose mom lives at Trico LivingWell.
“The family spoke eloquently about the care and dignity, and how she cares about their mom. And, she is doing it while she is away from her own family,” Wilton said.
Nedric-Lawrence has gained the love, trust, respect and adoration of not just the residents, but the staff too.
“She is so compassionate, so kind, so smart. She’s just an absolute gift,” said Cathy Lockhart, who manages the nurses at Trico LivingWell. “Ionia is not only a gift to the residents, but to their families as well.”
On Friday, WestJet “elves,” a film crew, Global Calgary TV crew and colleagues hid eagerly, waiting to surprise Nedrick-Lawrence, who thought she was doing a TV interview on behalf of the retirement home.
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As she rounded the corner with Lockhart, her face transformed from shock and confusion, to pure joy.
“I had no idea,” Nedrick-Lawrence said. “I was like: is that about me? I was overjoyed and overwhelmed, because I’m not one who loves the spotlight.”
Nedrick-Lawrence and her family will be using the gift of flight to visit her home country, Jamaica. She has not been back in 11 years and says the reunion with the rest of her family is long overdue.
“The last six months of this year, I’ve had huge losses,” Nedrick-Lawrence said. “Family members, close family members, residents. It was hard. Even with that, I stayed home a couple of days and then I went back to work. Because I know they need me and I need them.”
She plans on flying home next Christmas with her husband and two sons.
When asked what she thought about being the 2023 Holiday Hero, Nedrick said it’s a “testament.”
“The things you do, you should do to the best of your ability,” she said. “There is reward in the end.”