Volunteering at Children's Hospital Boston
Imagine working at a place you feel so good about that you stay there after hours to volunteer, or believing so strongly in the mission of an organization that you not only trust it with your health and the health of your family, but also devote your time and energy to it for the better part of five decades.
That's exactly how the more than 500 volunteers at Children's Hospital Boston feel. And without their devotion to the hospital, Children's wouldn't be the place it is today.
Highly trained and from a variety of backgrounds, volunteers clad in blue smocks work throughout the hospital’Äîfrom patient rooms to the Registration Desk’Äîperforming a variety of non-medical tasks, such as greeting and talking to patients and their families, reading to patients in treatment rooms and answering the phones.
"Volunteers are involved in almost every aspect of the hospital," says Myra Fox, director of Child Life and Volunteer Services. "They contribute so meaningfully to the hospital's mission, making a difference to the patients, families and staff."
Children's News recently sat down with two long-time hospital volunteers’ÄîLillian Shulman and Steven Mullen’Äîto find out how they got involved and what they do at Children's.
Monday lady
Having trouble finding your way around the hospital? You may want to stop by the information desk and ask Lillian Shulman for directions. After all, she's been traveling the halls of Children's Hospital Boston—first as a patient and now as a volunteer—for nearly 70 years.
Her story begins at age 4, when, during a routine procedure to remove her tonsils, Lillian contracted polio, an acute viral infection that can cause paralysis. "In that era, all children automatically had their tonsils taken out," she recalls. "But shortly after I had mine removed, my mother would put me down to walk, and I would fall over. So she knew something was wrong."
A native of Brookline, Mass., Lillian, now 81, still remembers coming to Children's in 1927—one of hundreds of polio victims treated at the hospital. "After I was formally diagnosed with paralytic polio, we were sent home, and my whole family was quarantined for three weeks," she says. "The polio affected my legs and my
right side, so I started physical therapy and other treatments."
At age 10, Lillian underwent her first corrective operation, and a year later, her second. "Children's has done so much for me; it's been a very important part of my life," she says. "I've always said that I'd be delighted to do anything I could to give back."
A mother of three and grandmother of four, Lillian saw an opportunity to do just that when her youngest son entered nursery school. "I started coming in four hours each week," she says. "There was a whole group of women whom I volunteered with, and we referred to ourselves as the ’ÄòMonday ladies.' There was a lot of camaraderie among the volunteers."
Lillian initially started with Children's library cart, reading to children in their rooms. "I can remember reading to one little girl a lot. And then one day, she was no longer there," recalls Lillian. "My first thought was that something horrible had happened, but I soon found out that the she had gotten healthy enough to go home. That was the last time I ever allowed myself to think that way. Children's is such a hopeful place, and as a volunteer, you have to be just as hopeful."
Lillian has performed a number of tasks over the years, including transporting patients to and from treatments and serving on the Children's Hospital League, a volunteer organization of over 500 women who serve as ambassadors and fundraisers for Children's. Today, she mans the information desk en route to the Fegan Building, answering questions and providing directions to those in need.
"During her more than 50 years at Children's, Lillian has trained other volunteers and really helped shape the volunteer program," says Barbara Blundell, MS, supervisor of Volunteer Services. "She's been an amazing leader and a huge help to the hospital."
"Giving back to such a great hospital is the best experience you could have," says Lillian. "I plan to volunteer as long as I can."
Employee by day, volunteer by night
When he's not busy making sure the hospital's servers are running smoothly or installing a new program on
our desktops, Steven Mullen, Network Operating System team leader in Children's Information Services Department (ISD), is volunteering.
Mullen joined the Children's team 10 years ago, and just two months later also started volunteering here. "Working in ISD out at 1295 Boylston Street, I'm pretty removed from the hospital," says Mullen. "I had always volunteered, and when I came to Children's, I saw it as a way I could get more involved and give something back."
Every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., Mullen can be found splitting his time between the 9th and
10th floors of the Main Building. While he spends most of his time with children who have cystic fibrosis (CF)—a genetic disease that affects the respiratory system, pancreas and sweat glands—Mullen also does everything from holding babies to painting windows in the rooms of kids who can't leave because they're on precautions.
"I enjoy the variety of ages I get to work with," says Mullen. "And since kids with CF are often in the hospital three or four times a year, I've had the chance to develop bonds with many of them. We know about each other, our families and friends."
And the patients certainly know when Mullen is scheduled to volunteer, as well and look forward to his visits. "I've tried my best not to miss volunteer nights over the past 10 years, but certain circumstances have kept me away from time to time," says Mullen. "The kids notice when I'm not there, and always want to know where I was the next time I volunteer. It's really amazing."
Mullen also says working with CF patients has really made him appreciate the health of his own children. "After a night of volunteering, I can't wait to get home to my kids and hug and kiss them," he says. "It's really been eye-opening to be around patients in the hospital."
For more information on volunteering at Children's, visit web1.tch.harvard.edu/help/volunteer.html.
