What do people need when they’re hurting or frightened? A hot cup of coffee, a little distraction and a big dose of kindness.
Sally Gabe, who volunteers in the surgery waiting area at St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas, knows how hard it is for family members waiting for their loved ones to come out of surgery. She greets families when they come in, gives them status updates and escorts them back to the recovery area when the procedure is over. During their time in the waiting area families are stressed, she says.
“Sometimes they really just want to talk, so we make them coffee and we try to make them feel comfortable,” she says. “Sometimes we’ll just chat about what’s on the TV. They just need a little distraction.”
Recognizing the power of distraction, Gabe took her commitment to St. Elizabeth a step further last fall when she and her dog signed up to provide pet therapy in the rehabilitation department. “She’s a little seven pound Maltese and people just love her,” Gabe says. “She’s like a little toy. After we visit they will say, ‘you just made my day’.”
In fact, she says, the reverse is true.
“They make my day,” she says. “I love it. It makes you feel so good because you are doing something for somebody else. It really is a heart-warming kind of a deal. Warm and fuzzy I guess you would call it.”
Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
