Giving special attention when it's needed

"It's the simple things I do that make a world of difference to a patient and their family. Just to let them know that there is someone else that can give them some comfort.”

Of all the hours Edna Strong has committed to volunteering, the most memorable moment for her came when a palliative care patient at Trillium Health Centre, told her: ‘Please stay with me. God sent you

to me. I need you.’

“One weekend, I got this gut feeling that I should go to the hospital, but I didn’t get the time, and when I went in on Monday, they told me she had died. She was only 30 years old,” says Edna, “and I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to her. I was so hoping she’d get out. I wanted to take her and her daughter out for ice cream.”

As a volunteer in Trillium’s Oncology Unit, Edna comes face-to-face with many cancer patients – some of them terminal – but she knows she’s there for a reason.

“There are days I just come out of there drained, but I remind myself that I’m lucky. I have my health and have lots to be thankful for and to give. I’m a positive person.”

A mother with grown children, Edna, 50, believes there’s nothing better than giving to someone else. “Sure, there are days I leave heavy-hearted, but I like to know I’m making a difference in someone’s life,” she adds.

Edna also knows that some patients deserve special attention, so at the end of her shifts she brings a stuffed bear to someone in need of a bear hug.

“One day I gave a bear to someone who was celebrating a birthday the next day, and (my gesture) brought tears to her eyes,” says Edna.

“What can I say? It’s a nice purpose in life to know you’re here to make people feel special.”