Children's Hospital

by Z. D., Brookline, MA

The first month I volunteered at Children's Hospital was tough. It was hard for me to realize how sick the kids were. I remember sometime during Christmas I was walking around the floors giving out little presents, I met Timmy. In Intensive Care lay a five-year-old boy with all kinds of machines hooked up to him. At the beginning, I was scared; I didn't know how he would react to my giving him a present. But he reached his hand out, took it, and put the biggest smile on his face, and mine. I played with him the rest of the time and at the end I didn't want to leave. I was so amazed: how could a child this small and this sick have so much spirit? I wanted to learn everything about him and do all I could to keep that smile on his face. Every week I would come and visit him with a small gift and every time that little hand would reach out, accompanied by a smile.

This experience with Timmy made me want to keep doing volunteer work. When a new class started at Brookline High School called Community Service Leadership Seminar, I applied, feeling it would help me develop my leadership skills. By becoming a leader in my school, I could change people's views about community service.

At Children's Hospital we do all sorts of things. The work ranges from playing Nintendo with children to watching over a girl who has given bone marrow to her younger brother. We tutor kids and also let parents have a little break while we watch the kids. Sometimes we are given office work or art projects and, since I have volunteered there for a while, I now train other volunteers.

Inspired by Timmy's spirit, I am able to see the benefits of contributing my time to community service as I do at Children's Hospital. Now I share these experiences and knowledge I gain from them with my leadership class.