Volunteers choose to help out in their community for various reasons, some enjoy helping people in need and others simply like to be active in their community.
Leah Bonn, a recent graduate of Arizona State University, started volunteering at Infinity Hospice Care for a pre-medical course requirement in August 2012 and fell in love with helping out.
Infinity Hospice Care is an operated Medicare certified provider of hospice services in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bryan Ruth volunteer coordinator with Infinity assigned Bonn to work with Ann Strom in fall of 2012. The two formed a strong bond and Bonn was even able to get to know Strom’s daughter, Garry Strom. Bonn and Garry Strom worked as a team to keep Ann Strom comfortable and happy through her last months.
Strom was 98 and had dementia when she passed away. Bonn said, “I had come to appreciate every moment.”
According to Ruth, Bonn has done an exceptional job and her care did not go unrecognized. Not only did she contribute most hours for patient visits last year, Dr. Carolyn Barlow, medical director of Infinity Hospice Care, found it easy to nominate her for volunteer of the year last year.
Barlow noticed “the kind and (heartfelt) interaction between them (Bonn and Strom).” The award was presented to Bonn at an annual appreciation breakfast in late April.
Ruth said it can take a little time for the volunteer and the patient to really connect, “Sometimes it takes time to build that rapport and relationship.”
He said he enjoys having college students volunteer but encourages them to continue volunteering past their requirement like Bonn did.
Ruth said it means a lot that “even though they get passed their class, they continue to see the patient.”
Bonn took on three more patients after Strom passed away. One of the three patients was taken off of hospice due to her progress. The second patient passed away peacefully but Bonn still works with the third patient. She is just going to remain caring for him during the time being due to her tight work schedule. Bonn said she visits him once every one to two weeks.
Bonn graduated in Spring 2013 with a degree in biology. She has been studying for her Medical College Admission Test that she will be taking in spring of 2014. Bonn is currently assisting and shadowing doctors at the John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital. She is getting hands-on experience until she goes to medical school.
Bonn will continue to volunteer with Infinity while she lives in Arizona. She is not positive where she will be attending medical school but it sounds like she wants to continue to volunteer. She finds it natural to help others.
A service-learning course at ASU turned out to be a great hobby for Bonn. In fact, she was able to create special relationships with people like Ann and Garry Strom. Not only did the Stroms feel very grateful for her presence, so did Ruth and the rest of the staff at Infinity Hospice Care.