Volunteering is a Family Affair

I started volunteering at Children's Hospital, Central California when my oldest daughter turned fifteen years old - 8 years ago. Fifteen was the "magic age" for volunteers at Children's Hospital for those teenagers that might need Community Service hours for school. Ashley was interested in volunteering and my thinking was...'why not volunteer with her because I was going to have to drive her there and pick her up!' I also thought, what a special time it could be for us as we worked together. Little did I know, at that time, how much this experience would touch my life.

Ashley and I volunteered for 3 years together, and when it was time for her to head off to college, my youngest daughter, having witnessed this special time her older sister and I shared, and listening to all of the stories we shared with the rest of our family, about the babies we held, the children we played with, the parents and families we interacted with, also wanted to try her hand at Volunteering - - and lo and behold, as Ashley departed for college, Alison turned the magic age - fifteen.

Ali and I began volunteering together. My daughter Alison is very different from her sister. They are both wonderful girls, but Ali is really my tender hearted soul. She is the one who would worry about the babies whose parents couldn't be with them during their hospital stay. She is the one who tear up when the small children would cry because of a medical procedure that might hurt. She would happily work at cleaning the floor playroom on our assigned ward, because she wanted to be sure the games pieces were all together so the children would be able to play with them, and the toys were in their proper place so the children could easily find them.

I have many special memories of volunteering with both my girls at Children's Hospital, but I think the one memory that stands out is the time that Alison and I attempted to comfort a small boy who had been severely burned by scalding water. What my daughter did not know, at the time, was that his burns had been done on purpose. This little guy was in a lot of pain when he was awake - which was when his pain medication wore off. His family was not allowed visit him. Ali and I sat, each holding one of his tiny hands. We sang to him, we read to him, we talked to him. We rubbed his hands with hospital lotion, and we whispered how much we cared and how sorry we were that he was hurt. We both cried with him. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of this little guy. I believe that we made a huge difference in his little life. I know he made a difference in ours.

It's been two years since Ali went away to college...and yes...I am still volunteering at Children's Hospital of Central California. When I go Children's and I walk down the halls I think of my own two girls - now young women, and I also think how thankful and blessed I am to have such a wonderful place to volunteer. The nurses, the doctors, the children the families...they remind me of how special life really is.


Karen Dockery
Fresno, CA