My name is Robert Heintz, and for the past ten years, I’ve been part of the Spiritual Care Team at Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH). Before that, I worked in policing, dairy farming, and pastoral ministry— each role taught me the value of “being there” when it matters most. Through it all, one belief has grounded me: every life is sacred, and every story deserves to be honoured.

Every name has a story: every light, a memory. Every gift you give is a gesture of love that carries forward.

I’d like to share two examples of sacred moments with you that illustrate some of the work I do, as I believe you care deeply about being there for others when it matters most.

The first is of an elderly patient I met who couldn’t attend his wife’s funeral—dementia had taken that freedom from him. But the team around him decided if he couldn’t go, they could, with the family, arrange a small ceremony. So, in the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Sanctuary, as familiar prayers began, something shifted. This gentleman became present, lucid, engaged, and peaceful. For those few moments, he was able to honour her. To say goodbye.

Then months later, I was introduced to a young lady whose illness was terminal. Her final wish? To marry the love of her life. With quiet urgency, her close friends and the compassionate team at CMH came together. They arranged the music, the flowers, even the wedding dress. In a bright Hospital hallway filled with love and tears, her wish came true, and I was honoured to officiate. It was more than just a ceremony— it was made possible by the dedication and humanity of those around her. Her husband later said, “I’ll never forget what this Hospital did for us.”

These sacred and special moments don’t show up on medical charts. But they are profoundly healing. And they are made possible because of you and your support of the teams of dedicated professionals at your Hospital.

That dedication is what brought me to CMH, and it inspires me every day as I walk our Hospital halls, never knowing what the day will hold, but always ready to listen, support, and bear witness to moments that matter.

Sometimes I hold space for a family or loved one’s grief. Sometimes it’s a quiet moment of meditation or perhaps a prayer, a calming presence, or simply being someone who won’t rush a patient or a staff member living through a difficult moment. I’ve celebrated weddings. I’ve stood beside people as they said goodbye. I’ve heard stories of joy, pain, gratitude, and deep love.

And through all these moments, I’ve come to believe that being remembered is one of the most potent forms of love.

That’s why Trees of Caring means so much to me, to our Hospital Community, and people like you, our cherished donors.

For 37 years, this heartfelt tradition has given people a way to honour someone special: someone they miss, someone they admire, someone who shaped their life, someone they love or have loved.

By writing a name on a symbolic light and returning it with a donation, you give that name a place in our Hospital, among hundreds of others. Each light is a tribute to a life lived, a memory cherished, a connection that continues or simply an expression of thanks and gratitude to CMH over the festive season.

Some names come with tears. Some come with smiles. All come with love.

I often stop by the display and wonder about the stories behind the names. The grandfather who made Sunday pancakes. The neighbour who cleared the snow. The nurse who stayed a few extra minutes. The daughter who sang to her mother in the ICU. These lights are more than decoration. They are declarations:

“You mattered.”
“You are remembered.”
“You brought love into this world.”

When you take part in Trees of Caring, you’re not just remembering someone. You’re helping others receive care that sees and honours them as whole people, body, mind, and spirit.

Let me tell you again why that matters.

Remember the elderly man who couldn’t attend his wife’s funeral? Because of his health and grief, it seemed impossible. But with support from the Spiritual Care Team at CMH, a memorial service was held here at the Hospital. And in that sacred pause, he found peace.

Or the young bride whose wedding we brought to life within days? That celebration didn’t just fulfill a wish; it gave her and her new husband something eternal.

These moments, as described, aren’t captured in test results or patient charts, but they complete the circle of care we provide at CMH.

It is donors like you that fund 100% of the equipment at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Every monitor, infusion pump, and piece of life-saving technology exists because someone in our Community made a gift. That someone might be you.

While the Spiritual Care Team ensures that our care remains deeply human and accessible to patients and families of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, donors ensure that the best tools and technology are available to serve all of us.

No one should face a difficult diagnosis or their final moments alone.

The Spiritual Care Team is there when words fall short, when a hand to hold is needed, when grief is too heavy to carry alone.

This festive season, I invite you to join the Trees of Caring tradition again. Your gift could help honour a life. Let their light shine among the many glowing tributes at CMH. Let their memory be part of something bigger—something filled with love, remembrance, and hope.

During this festive season, when you make a donation, you immediately strengthen the care we provide today. Together, as part of Trees of Caring, we ensure that every person who walks through the doors of CMH is seen, supported, cared for, and remembered.

Let their light shine. Let their story live on.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Robert Heintz
Spiritual Care Coordinator
Cambridge Memorial Hospital