Letter: ICU work was well worth it

Wow! I have a slight idea how those whose jobs were done away with at Hanford must feel. After doing volunteer work at Kadlec in the ICU for 18 years, I and the other volunteers in ICU were told we were no longer needed now that they have moved to the 10th floor in the tower. Of course I only worked 8 hours a week, not 40. And was paid in blessings not money. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found blessings are just as important, if not more important, than money, and they certainly last longer.

Over the years, I’ve met a lot of great people. As I listened to the worries and fears of family members or friends of patients, I saw their sorrows when they didn’t get well or joys when they did, I found I felt more tired emotionally than physically. But it was worth it and I certainly learned a lot. And I’m grateful to Kadlec and those over the volunteer program for making it possible. Hope I can find another position.

More importantly, I hope I was a little help to those coming in to visit a patient or those waiting for some kind of news. So, I would like to thank everyone, especially the ICU staff. You have a lot of great people working there.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 4:41 AM with the headline "Letter: ICU work was well worth it."