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Ancestry Solutions'
Ancestral Collectives
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 1948 - 2015 (66 years)
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| Name |
Gerald David HARPWOOD |
| Born |
28 Dec 1948 |
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada  |
| Gender |
Male |
| _UID |
DDC5AC4928C4DC428C4B9921E5E5E1280583 |
| Died |
16 Dec 2015 |
Juravinski Cancer Hosp. Hamilton ON |
| Person ID |
I2959 |
Chamberlain Family |
| Last Modified |
1 Dec 2017 |
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| Notes |
- INTERESTS
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Description
Description
I have decided to create a private FB page so that I can keep friends and family updated on Jerr... See More
Darlene Marie
50 mins
"Waiting for the call"...Since some of you have asked why Jerry is going to Ottawa for treatment, here is the story. I will try to keep it short, but it is not a short story. Jerry was diagnosed in May 2014 by way of a bone marrow test. His doctor told me over the phone of the diagnosis of Myelofibrosis, which I in turn had to give him the bad news. This diagnosis came right after we had signed papers to purchase our dream house in the country. The Dr. told us that he required treatment right away, and that we would be called within a few days by an oncologist. So we waited.
When we did not receive a call in a week or so, I called the office, and was told that this particular Dr. had referred us to another Dr. Well, as it turns out this 2nd Dr. was a month or 2 from moving to St. Catharines and it was going to be a wait. When he told his family Dr. of this, his family Dr. referred him to Juravanski Cancer Clinic in Hamilton. Again, we waited for the call. I called them once a week, and were told that yes, he was on the list, and would be called within a few weeks. Well the call did come to his family Dr., and he was told that he would have to come back to St. Catharines, because their patient load was high and they simply could NOT take him on as a patient.
During that that time we did move, with the help of some wonderful people, and 3 of those people had also fought or were fighting cancer.
David James, why did you not tell me to hire a moving company.?!?! Note to self, never move yourself. (just kidding, you did tell me).
We continued to wait, while taking on many projects at the new house. Jerry worked like a trooper, despite his symptoms, and remained positive and optimistic.
His loving sister, Jackie Crompton who lives in Thunder Bay (a 2 day drive from here), approached here cancer clinic, and after pleading her case, was able to get Jerry an appointment with an oncologist. This was now September. Jerry did spend some in Thunder Bay with that oncologist, and was started on some medications, and was told that he required a bone marrow transplant in Ottawa. (which is about a 6 hour drive from our house). Ottawa was chosen because his Dr. in Thunder Bay felt that it was the best hospital for his case.
He came back home and waited for the call. After a few appointments in Ottawa and teleconferences with Dr.'s in Ottawa, we were told that the transplant would probably happen in December, and that they would be starting the process of searching for a compatible donor. Well, as it turned out, his sister Jackie was the donor. Then she wasn't because she had survived cancer many years ago, and they were concerned about the risks to both her and Jerry because of her having chemo way back them.
We were then told that the transplant would be in January, and after researching this, Jackie would likely be the donor. This process all takes time, so the transplant was moved up to March. As you know, Jackie finally was able to donate her stem cells, which were frozen (less than 5% of stem cells are frozen) but this is a precaution so that they can check them more thoroughly to ensure that the quality is right for Jerry. The Dr.'s there are pretty optimistic that everything is fine, but this does take time, so now the transplant is expected to be late April or early May (now a year after diagnosis). This process will take at least 4 months in Ottawa. So we are still waiting for the call.
Jerry is doing well, despite having to receive a few blood transfusions to "juice him up" (as the ER doctor said). He remains optimistic, positive and anxious to move forward so that he can move back home and get on with things.
I want to thank everyone for their support, and you are in this group because you have crossed our path in many different ways, and it is important to us to keep you informed. Just being able to write to you in this group is therapeutic and we know that you care.
When we get the call, you will find out!! (I promise the next post will be shorter)
xo
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Jerry Harpwood had only retired from the St. Catharines Fire Department for six years, after a three-decade career there.
And he’d revelled in later times with his family and wife Darlene Chamberlain.
Among those adventures were sojourns to Greece, Alaska and Western Canada.
By early summer 2014, another post-retirement chapter was unfolding for the former acting platoon chief. He and Darlene moved into a dream house in St. Catharines wine country.
The couple, who married in 2009, even bought a dog.
A disease had other plans, however. Jerry was almost simultaneously diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a cancer of the bone marrow.
After a pitched battle that included a stem-cell transplant, Jerry passed away Dec. 17 at the Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton. He was 66.
“He was the most courageous man I have ever met,” said Darlene, inside their west-end home and describing his last years.
“We both had this thing where we agreed ‘you have to live each day to the fullest, because you don’t know what’s around the corner.
“And every day he showed his determination and strength by rallying,” she said. “And if Jerry had a good day I was having a good day, if it was a bad day I’d have a bad day.”
She recounts an ordeal of referrals, blood transfusions and medical bouncing around that followed the diagnosis.
Eventually, a Thunder Bay oncologist sent him to The Ottawa Hospital for treatment. Jerry’s stem cell donor was his sister Jackie Crompton.
“I’d do it again if it would have saved his life, there is no doubt in my mind about that,” said Jackie, a Thunder Bay resident. “Jerry was a real gem.
“When he got ill … we tried to help out as much as we could.”
Darlene had to relocate to Ottawa for months for the April transplant procedure, but her husband remained in hospital. He was eventually taken by air ambulance to Juravinski in October, in critical condition.
“These things happen and you just go, you do what you have to,” said Darlene. “We were trying to save his life.”
Despite being told her husband might never get off his respirator, by late fall Jerry seemed to improve. “The most amazing thing he did was manage to get off the respirator for a month,” Darlene said. “It was a setback, rally, setback, rally.”
In the end, a health decline followed and Jerry died in the hospital, his wife at his side.
Jerry was also predeceased by his first wife Gaye, who died from cancer in the early 2000’s after a long marriage.
Darlene describes Jerry as “an amazing caregiver to his first wife … he was a kind, courageous man.
“He deserved to have someone look after him, the way he looked after her.”
His obituary reports Jerry was a former scout leader and loved the outdoors. “He was an invaluable member of Smugglers Cove Boat Club,” it said.
Ten days after his death, Darlene said she’s doing “OK.”
“I am trying to focus on our good times and how he lived his life with a lot of joy and laughter; eventually I’m hoping those memories will replace (the bad ones).”
His longtime friend, retired St. Catharines firefighter Doug Dixon, called Jerry “probably one of the best guys you’ll ever meet.”
“And he’d been through a lot, but headed off in this journey and didn’t know what the outcome would be.
“He just fought so hard … like so many firefighters before him, the cancer caught up,” he said. “Just a super guy.”
Doug also spoke at a memorial held last week at St. Thomas Anglican Church in St. Catharines.
“Jerry loved the fire services, the screaming sirens and the flashing lights,” he told the gathering.
“It was the perfect career for a very adventurous and courageous man. He was a natural leader.”
Jerry is also survived by sons Andrew and Aaron, stepchildren Christine and David, grandchildren Ella and Cole, sisters Jackie, Cathy and several nephews.
don.fraser@sunmedia.ca
Twitter @don_standard
Died from complications of Leukemia and stem cell transplant
HARPWOOD, Gerald David - Dec. 28, 1948 - Dec. 17, 2015. Our beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend passed away after an incredibly difficult battle with cancer. He was 66 years old. Jerry was a devoted, cherished husband and best friend to Darlene Chamberlain, loving father to Andrew (Cody) Harpwood, and Aaron, stepfather to Christine and David, grandfather to Ella and Cole, loving brother to Jackie (Greg) and Cathy as well as several nephews. He was predeceased by Gaye (Anita) Harpwood. Jerry was firefighter with the St. Catharines Fire Services for 30 years, and he cherished the opportunity to have been able serve his community. Prior to his employment with the Fire Services, Jerry was an ambulance attendant in St. Catharines. His involvement in emergency services for over 40 years is a testament to his personality, dedication and courage. He was former scout leader and loved the outdoors. He was an invaluable member of Smugglers Cove Boat Club, and could always be counted on to perform the smallest or largest of tasks. Jerry's love of animals was proof of his loving, kind nature and his huge heart and personality will be missed by all who knew him. A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Thomas Anglican Church, 99 Ontario St., Tuesday December 22, at 11am, followed by a reception at the Lions Club, 732 Niagara St., St. Catharines. In Lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Rankin Cancer Run or any charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to PASSFIELD MORTUARY SERVICES 905-683-047413007845
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Presented Bywww.stcatharinesstandard.ca
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| Sources |
- [S2] Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).
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