Volunteers who make the hospital tick

Hospital volunteer Doreen Birchfield with Michael Wenzel and 7-month-old son Lucas.

Doreen Birchfield is a compulsive giver – of her love, time and goodwill.

Every Wednesday, the 81-year-old mother, grandmother, great grandmother and volunteer, walks to Tauranga Hospital where she puts in a two hour shift at the children's ward.

Doreen and fellow volunteer, Debz Turner, are two very special women who, between them, have been putting smiles on little faces at the children's ward for nearly 50 years. Now their dedication is being acknowledged as part of National Volunteer Week.

'The kids love asking me how old I am,” says Doreen. 'When I told one little girl I was 81 , she screwed up her face up and said ‘yuck, you're nearly 100.'”

Doreen started her hospital volunteering at Auckland's Princess Margaret Hospital in 1989, followed by six years at Starship before moving to Tauranga.

'The kids keep me going,” says Doreen. 'And children's ward team are like a family.”

The hospital's play specialist Donna Opie said Doreen emanates warmth, knowledge and kindness. 'It's that grandmotherly approach the children love.” On Mondays, Doreen also volunteers her time with the elderly at Tauranga's Fraser Manor Rest Home in the avenues.

Hospital volunteer Debz Turner is rewarded with smiles on little faces.

After 27 years, Debz Turner is the ward's longest serving volunteer. She has seen lots of changes including the shorter stays the children now have in hospital.

'We got to know some of the children really well as they often stayed for weeks,” she said. She has seen some children, whose conditions mean they are regular visitors, grow from babies to teenagers.

In the early 2000s, when Debz lived in Gate Pa, she volunteered up to three days a week. Since moving to Papamoa in 2010, she buses to the hospital one afternoon a week, helping maintain the playroom and resources.

Her greatest highlight – 'See smiles on the children's faces”. Play specialist Debbie McDougall said Debz's commitment over the years had been unwavering. 'She is open and accepting and willing to undertake any task required.”

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1 comment

Good sorts

Posted on 15-06-2018 17:47 | By maildrop

Never ceases to amaze me the amount of free time that public services survive on. Sadly, these good people will not be replaced. Humankind is down the tubes.


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