A five-year-old girl who lost both her parents at an early age is being reminded every Christmas of how many people loved and cared for her mother, thanks to the kindness of her former coworkers.
Suzanne Caine, an employee in the customer service department of a large pharmaceutical company based in Scarborough, passed away due to complications with diabetes. Her daughter, Ellie, was just 19 months old at the time.
Ellie’s father died about a year later.
The little girl’s grandparents are now taking care of her and are praising the pharmaceutical company for their kindness and support after Suzanne’s death.
“The company was remarkable towards us. First thing they did for us was lower their flag, which touched us deeply. And then they came to my daughter’s funeral. They rented a bus and their human resource department contacted us and offered to help us,” Nicole Caine, Ellie’s grandmother, told CTV News Toronto.
“Following that, when the first Christmas came, they invited our little Ellie to the Christmas luncheon party. So we went there and it was a big feast for her with the turkey meal and a whole bunch of presents. She was really spoiled.”
Suzanne’s coworkers told CTV News Toronto that the office usually does a gift exchange every year for the holidays, but when they heard of Suzanne’s passing back in 2015, they felt like they needed to do something special in her memory.
“We started off small in our department, collecting gifts for her, and it snowballed. It became more than just our department,” Brenda Brett said. “It’s just to see the excitement on her face and we get to see Ellie and see her grow up and keep those memories alive.”
“It’s when Christmas begins,” Reni Caccamo said. “To see the smile on her face. She is a bright sparkling little girl.”
Now, four years later, the Caine family still receives an invitation to the company’s Christmas luncheon. Nicole said that she did not expect the continued support.
“For Ellie, to us, it is a blessing because she will see that other people loved her mother. Even though she is not with her mom, her mom is important to her. Her co-workers did care for her mother and through her, they care for Ellie.”
It’s now a tradition that everyone, the Caine family and Suzanne’s co-workers, look forward to every year. Ellie now brings a basket of chocolates with her for the employees who, in turn, give her gifts and Christmas cards.
“It was like being happy,” Ellie told CTV News Toronto. “I would say thank you and thank you for all of the stuff you gave me and thank you for everything.”
The pharmaceutical company, which is located in Scarborough, asked CTV News Toronto not to be named.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Brandon Rowe
