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Lyliana DiTommaso’s effort to deliver unique Valentine’s to seniors continues to bring big smiles
Published Mar 23, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
F.J. Davey Home residents Don Pezzuto (left) and Joe Orlando were among those to receive greetings thanks to the efforts of Sault College practical nursing student Lyliana DiTomasso. Photo by Patricia Baker /Special to The Sault StarArticle content
Lyliana DiTommaso got a bright idea on how sharing a simple gesture could brighten the lives of many seniors residing Sault Ste. Marie care homes.
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While the Sault College practical nursing student is working toward completing her second semester clinical rotation at the F.J. Davey Home, she saw an opportunity earlier this year.
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Why not share some light-hearted fun by printing patterns of basic Valentine’s Day cards, then colouring them with unique combinations? The idea would see cards made for those who reside on each of the 10 units where Sault College clinical instructors teach and support their groups of students.
Those residing in several of these homes, including the F.J. Davey Home, Extendicare Maple View and Mauno Kaihla Koti, one of four sites within the Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA) seniors’ residential community, received a card.
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The annual celebration has come and gone, but the program’s rewards endure.
“I thought it would be a super sweet idea to do with the practical nurse program, and I decided to co-ordinate it,” DiTommaso told The Sault Star in a recent interview.
Cards were hand delivered to residents by students assigned to specific units with their clinical instructors and assisted by staff.
Their clinical days had taken place just before Valentine’s Day this year and DiTommaso had cards ready to be shared with each unit.
The response was inspirational as residents responded in their own ways when they held their cards. Clinical instructors focussed on the lasting impact this effort revealed about how kindness is universal; residents were happy, families were impressed. Some residents asked staff and students to read their cards.
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Even residents who may have been a little trickier to build a rapport with cracked smiles.
This project encompassed much hard, yet rewarding, work, with DiTommaso in the lead.
The idea came after a discussion with a relative about the Canadian Nursing Student Association (CNSA) council that both are and were on; her stepbrother, Cody Mount, was in the BScN program a few years back and was involved with the school and nursing programs. The two spoke of which events and conferences DiTommaso could assist with as an events co-ordinator with CNSA. Mount told how he had attended conferences, prepared cards for residents when he was at college and advised her on how to print cards and establish lists of contacts who would assist with numbers and unit locations for residents.
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DiTommaso got to work finding templates, printing them out to accommodate more than 300 residents. Then she alerted classmates to pick up templates to colour and help complete cards for the deadline.
By the night before clinical, DiTommaso discovered that some of the cards hadn’t been completed and returned. So, she spent the night finishing the project in preparation for handing cards out to residents at clinical the next day.
Sault College practical nursing student Lyliana DiTommaso’s card concept left plenty of big smiles among seniors to whom cards were delivered. Patricia Baker
Her perseverance helped reach, and even surpass, the goal of brightening residents’ lives by making it a day to remember.
“Seeing how much it meant to them and how engaged our cohort was made me realize how powerful a simple act of kindness can be in health care,” said DiTommaso.
DiTommaso, 19, graduated from Korah Collegiate & Vocational School in 2024 and went on to Algonquin College in Ottawa where she enrolled in the pre-health program for the 24/25 school year.
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“I, unfortunately, didn’t graduate that program as I reduced my course load expecting to be able to continue the course in the summer, but sadly the program was full at that time,” she said.
By last September, she had enrolled in the two-year practical nursing program (diploma) at Sault College. Her first semester clinical hours were completed at the Davey Home, while she is presently halfway through her second semester, also at the Davey Home.
DiTommaso tapped into three intrinsic values nurses possess – care, compassion and empathy – and the response from residents was inspiring.
As health-care professionals know, special activities for seniors are vital for their mental and emotional well-being.
“I feel grateful and proud of how this turned out,” DiTommaso said. “The goal was to simply brighten the residents’ day in a small way, but we all saw how much it meant to them. It reminded me that nursing isn’t just about the clinical skills, it’s also about the connection, empathy and creating moments that make our residents and anyone feel valued.
“I’m really proud of our class coming together to make it happen.”
And, perhaps, happen again.
“I would love to see this to be continued in other homes and I would be more than willing to help future students,” DiTommaso said. “It was so nice to see all the residents’ reactions and it made me feel very proud to have fulfilled this.”
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