How Compassion Transforms: 5 Lessons from our Covenant Caregivers
“You can't pour from an empty cup. Find ways to fill your cup; ask for help and be compassionate to yourself as well as those in your care.”
– Alison Churchill, Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
Alison reminds us that compassion isn’t just for others. By tending to ourselves first—resting, refilling, and asking for help—we sustain the strength and joy needed to care deeply for those around us.
2. Compassion changes the way we see others.
“Caregiving for elderly people with dementia has taught me that compassion means meeting someone where they are—even if it’s not where they used to be.” – Myra Santiago, St. Martha’s Continuing Care, Banff
Myra’s work has reshaped her perspective: compassion invites us to see beyond words or memory, to connect through gestures, presence, and small acts of kindness. It changes how we see not just patients, but all people with deeper empathy and humanity.
Pictured: Myra Santiago, St Martha's Continuing Care Centre
3. Compassion builds resilience.
“I have had to build up my emotional resilience to assist with supporting people throughout their journeys. It is important to remember that with each person their experiences and needs are different, and I must show them respect and honor those differences. – Sherry Hanks, Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre
For Sherry, compassion and resilience are inseparable. Supporting people through their hardest moments has taught her to stay grounded, even when faced with pain and loss. By honouring each person’s unique journey and needs, she finds strength not just to keep going, but to keep caring deeply.
Pictured: Sherry Hanks, Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre
4. Compassion helps us respond with understanding.
“Caregiving has taught me that today isn’t my worst day – I was able to come to work – but for the patient or family I’m supporting, it might be theirs. I’ve learned that everyone is carrying something we can’t always see.” – Lindsay Thomas, Villa Caritas
Lindsay’s lesson is powerful: compassion reframes frustration as fear, anger as grief. It shifts our response from judgment to understanding, helping us bring calm and lightness to someone else’s darkest day.
Pictured: Lindsay Thomas, Villa Caritas
5. Compassion renews our ability to care.
“One evening during the pandemic, a patient told me, ‘You look beyond exhausted. You need to give yourself some compassionate care. Do you think you can provide good care to your patients while you need the care right now?’ That question really made me think.” – Derek Luu, Edmonton General
Pictured: Derek Luu, Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre
After 15 years caring for palliative and long-term care residents, Derek knows the demands of caregiving well. But during the pandemic, one patient’s words reminded him of an essential truth: we can’t care for others if we don’t care for ourselves. By practicing self-compassion, he has learned that compassion fuels itself, renewing his ability to show up fully for those who need him most.
A closing reflection
These stories remind us that more than easing pain, compassion also reshapes the way we live, see and care. At Covenant Foundation, we see this transformation every day: in bold ideas sparked, care spaces brightened and spirits lifted in ways that almost feel magical.
This Caregivers’ Month, we honour those who embody this truth and carry their lessons into our own lives, sparking compassion that ripples outward.
Our compassionate caregivers spark ideas and programs that transform care for those we serve at Covenant. Will you help bring these ideas to life? Make a gift today and help compassion ripple even further. Donate Now.
Written by Carmel David, Covenant Foundation