It’s National Volunteer week and we are incredibly fortunate to have an extraordinary family of more than 450 volunteers, who generously choose to gift their time and talents to help our hospitals every week. Huge aroha and thanks to them all! This week we’d love to introduce a few of them.
It takes a very special kind of person, like Pip, to provide volunteer support for our hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. The ICU can be an intense and very scary place for friends and families visiting critically ill loved ones, and our volunteers will often be working alongside people experiencing a great deal of anxiety and stress. Pip provides a calm and reassuring welcome as she manages the reception services for the unit, staggering visitors so as not to overwhelm patients and staff in this high tech area. She also provides other support to the very busy staff, helping to ensure the smooth running of the unit.
Tragically, Pip knows first-hand just how difficult it is to have a loved one in the care of ICU. Six years ago her husband Peter, aged just 54, had a cardiac arrest at home and was admitted to the ICU. “During that time, and after, I received nothing but kindness, understanding and care from ICU staff, but sadly, Peter did not survive despite the efforts of the amazing medical professionals in the unit.” Our volunteers often join us, like Pip, after a personal experience of care and treatment in our hospitals, as a way to express their thanks and to help others. Pip says, “I am now enjoying being able to give back to the Wellington Hospital community and thoroughly enjoy my Monday on reception at ICU and interacting with the wonderful staff.” We are so fortunate to have kind and caring volunteers like Pip.
He aha te mea nui o te Ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. Interested in volunteering with us? See here for more details: