A family room at the QEII hospital has received a long-awaited renovation. The project was initiated by a group of local mothers from the Ummah Mosque as a way to honour the Barho family.
The Barho family arrived in Nova Scotia as Syrian refugees in 2017. In February 2019, a tragic fire at their Spryfield home claimed the lives of the seven children.
Parents Ebraheim and Kawthar Barho escaped the blaze, but Ebraheim suffered severe burns while trying to rescue their children.
READ MORE: ‘There’s no preparation for tragedy’: Halifax firefighter speaks about impact of Barho house fire
Ebraheim Barho was taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma. He remained in hospital for over a year and his wife was there by his side every day.
During that time, the family room in the hospital’s intermediate care unit (IMCU) acted as her second home, but the room left much to be desired.
“The room was a conventional hospital room,” said Ahmad Hussein, chair of the Ummaq Mosque and Community Centre.
“Uncomfortable table, uncomfortable chairs.”
It was that experience that inspired a group of women from the Mosque to raise funds to renovate the room.
“As moms we felt a connection (to Kawthar) and I reached out to my friends. They were all part of the Muslim community and we wanted to show our support,” said Lubna Channaa, one of the fundraising organizers.
Channaa says she reached out to the QEII hospital foundation to discuss a way to support the family and the idea of renovating the family room was brought up.
“We loved the idea because this way we can show our appreciation and also help other families that might be in need.”
Channaa and a team of women from the Mosque raised $8,000 to renovate the room. The fundraising was completed in 2019 but renovations were put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly three years after the plan first took hold, the IMCU room upgrade has been completed.
The room has been freshly painted to be brighter and calmer, the furniture and TV have been upgraded and a pull out cot has been installed which can allow a family member to spend the night if need be. A kitchenette was also installed and includes a sink, a microwave and a mini-fridge.
“It’s the added comforts that may seem small, but when you’re visiting with your family in the unit, it does make a world of difference,” said Amanda Hatt, Community Programs Director for the QEII Foundation.
“Having a kitchenette, having a water source, those things make a world of difference to you when you’re spending hours upon hours in the unit looking after your family.”
Due to COVID restrictions, Channaa hasn’t been able to see the room for herself, but has been shown pictures and says she’s very pleased with how it’s turned out.
“It seems so much brighter, more welcoming and a more relaxing space,” said Channaa.
“It’s supposed to be a space for families of patients to step in, relax, pull themselves together. It’s a much more relaxing space now.”
The room opened to families of patients in March and Hatt says feedback has been positive.
Channaa says she’s so appreciative of everyone who helped them to fundraise and is humbled to have been able to support this project in honour of the Barho family.
“We can never understand the grief they went through, but hopefully this will bring a smile to their faces that we’re contributing this on their behalf.”