[4 min read]
In this article:
- Volunteers at Providence Swedish are a vital support for patients and care teams.
- Volunteers at our Issaquah campus converted an unused supply cart into a "care cart" carrying treats and necessities to help patients through their time in the hospital.
- Meet our volunteer Cheryl, a former patient who joined our care cart volunteer team after having her kids and receiving treatment for cancer at Swedish.
- Along with puzzles and extra reading glasses, Cheryl brings patients ears for listening and, when necessary, a supportive shoulder to cry on.
It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week. Providence Swedish is so grateful to the volunteers who give so much to our patients and our community. We asked some of them to share what brought them to volunteering and what the work means to them. Meet Swedish Issaquah volunteer Cheryl. She has a long relationship with Providence Swedish and knows first-hand how caring volunteers ease the way of our patients.
Someone to talk to
An infant transportation crib cart is gently rolled through the halls of the Providence Swedish Issaquah inpatient floors. But instead of carrying a newborn, the repurposed cart is home to new and donated books of various genres, puzzles, coloring pages, reading glasses, playing cards and a host of other things to help patients through their time in the hospital.
When volunteer Cheryl (shown below with the care cart and above on a hiking trip) is captaining the cart of treats and necessities, she gently knocks doors, introducing herself and offering patients anything off the cart, free of charge. The care cart provides distractions or activities to hopefully bring a little light to a patient’s day, as well as some company outside of the patients' care teams.
Cheryl is a Providence Swedish patient. She knows the value of our volunteers' kindness and how seemingly small gestures can mean so much to someone in a hospital bed.
“(Volunteers) are invaluable, because as much as you like the doctors and nurses, you also need someone to talk to about hope – about putting one foot in front of the other and just making it day-to-day,” Cheryl says. “That was one of the hardest things for me, and I think it’s hard for a lot of patients to see that they’re going to be OK. There’s a lot to be said for positive thinking.”
For Cheryl, that person to talk to was Nancy, the former care cart manager.
In 2017, Cheryl received the news that her breast cancer had metastasized to her liver and bones. Her oncologist at Providence Swedish Cancer Institute Issaquah did an immediate intake to the ER. She remembers being told to call her family.
With the weight of this news and a new treatment plan settling over Cheryl, she met Nancy. They bonded over having sons of similar age, and Nancy helped Cheryl process her grief and concerns, while keeping things upbeat. Nancy offered brochures on wigs and hair loss, keeping her moving forward, instead of wallowing in the possibilities.
“When people tell you that you might not make it, you think, ‘Will I see my kid graduate?’” Cheryl says. “Part of what Nancy did was keep me pumped up and going forward, and now I’ve got my chance to do that for other people.”
Sharing the gift of support
After years of getting to know each other, Nancy let her know she’d be moving out of state. She had a proposal for Cheryl: Become a care cart volunteer.
Being a care cart volunteer is not always easy, you can meet patients facing challenging health issues, who are despondent or downtrodden. But, Cheryl says, because she’s been in that bed as well, she knew she was the right person to donate her time to the care cart. She’s already seen the results of bringing a smile to the face of struggling patients in the several weeks that she’s been a volunteer.
Despite only being a volunteer for one month at Providence Swedish Issaquah, Cheryl has received care at Swedish for decades, her two children being born at Providence Swedish First Hill birthing center. She also received care for her first bout of breast cancer in 2014 at Providence Swedish Cancer Institute First Hill. As a Bellevue resident, she moved her care to Providence Swedish Issaquah when it opened.
She continues to be a patient as well, receiving infusion treatments every three weeks.
"I’m trying to see if I can gift it forward,” Cheryl says. “I’m still on that healing journey, it will be a lifelong journey for me, and I remind patients of that as well.”
Whether it’s to give a free book, make small talk, pray, or to look towards the future and hope, Cheryl is there for the patients who need it.
Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, you have options. Contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. You can also connect virtually with your provider to review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. And with Swedish ExpressCare Virtual, you can receive treatment in minutes for common conditions such as colds, flu, urinary tract infections and more. You can use our provider directory to find a specialist or primary care physician near you.
Information for patients and visitors
Additional resources
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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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