I WANT TO INSPIRE PEOPLE. I WANT SOMEONE TO LOOK AT ME AND SAY “BECAUSE OF YOU, I DIDN’T GIVE UP.” This is me, then and now. The whole story. Children’s Memorial, now Lurie Children’s, has been a significant part of my life, past and present. I was born with a congenital heart defect, or … Continue reading
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This is just a journey, drop your worries. You are gonna turn out fine.
Today was a normal day in the PACU, steady with patients getting procedures done after the holiday. I did my usual routine of fetching warm blankets and assisting wherever needed an extra hand. I got to hold and calm a few patients which is always my favorite part. I often feel like a baby whisperer. … Continue reading
No matter how good or bad you think life is, wake up each day thankful for it. Someone somewhere else is fighting to survive.
Besides just simply going in to volunteer each Monday, as cliché as it seems I come out with a new realization about life each and every time. Today’s moral gained was that as hard as life can seem at certain moments, there is always someone out there who is fighting a harder battle. My main … Continue reading
If you can find a path with no obstacles it probably doesn’t lead anywhere
As my volunteer experience has progressed over the last few weeks, one major observation has stuck out in my mind and I have come up with the generalization that those who work as health care professionals truly have to have a passion for and love the job they wake up for every morning. I highlight these … Continue reading
Grin & Bear it
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where our patience is tested. Today was sort of one of those days. It was an extremely slow day in the PACU and there was a variety of nurses whom I hadn’t worked much with or seen before. They appeared to be the nurses who had been working there for a … Continue reading
Think Good Thoughts
Last week in class after our discussion on population, community, and organization assets, I really started to think about those that pertain to Lurie Children’s hospital. Today, like most Mondays, it was fairly slow in the PACU so I was especially allowed more time to just think and observe the surroundings. I sat in my … Continue reading
I saw the sign…
Well it’s Monday again, and after last week of being unable to volunteer due to being ill, I anxiously awaited being able to return this week. Even though today was only my second time volunteering, it is already something I look forward to each week. I feel that it helps set the mood for my … Continue reading
October 8, 2012… I’m official!!
Today was a very significant day for me! After a couple weeks of finalizing my health screening and availability, I was able to be scheduled for my first volunteer shift! My shift in the PACU was set for 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (shifts are usually 3 hours) I could not have been more anxious and excited … Continue reading
I’ll stand by you
Last week during my service learning class we read and discussed the poem “The Lovers of the Poor” by Gwendolyn Brooks. This poem highlights the growing social awareness of the Brooks with a visit from two upperclass white women who show no respect nor charity. While further discussing the context of this poem, we were … Continue reading
“Strength isn’t something you have, it’s something you find.”
I didn’t know my own strength -Whitney Houston
Nothing about being in the hospital or having surgery at a young age is appealing, more like overwhelming and frightening. When I begin interacting with patients next week, I expect to see a wide spectrum of nationalities as well as conditions being treated. Some of these children will be having their very first operation while others may be in for their twentieth. Some fighting for their lives, while others in for a minor procedure. Some may have their families’ support and presence around the clock, while others may be left to cope on their own. These young children may not be aware of the fact going through the motions, but these obstacles will in turn create an internal strength. During this time, finding that inner strength to face the emotional and physical struggles is not always easy. It is common to feel vulnerable and defeated proposing the question of resentment for why these things have to happen to me. It is often cliche to say “experience comes with age” but I disagree with this statement. Some children have been through more traumatizing and life altering events in a span of a few months or over a continuation of years than most will ever endure in their lifetime. 
For this reason, I find it so detrimental to never judge or characterize someone based solely on physical appearance or with minuscule prior knowledge. I want to be able to provide the strength and be able to be confided in for those children who need help dealing with these hardships they are facing. I feel that this volunteer opportunity is not only one to help me reflect and find peace with my past encounters but to also able to share my strength with these children.
thelifeofjensen 