Volunteer of the Month
May 2012
Christine Derys, Project Contact Volunteer
This month’s volunteer of the month, Christine Derys, has not been working at New York Methodist very long, but has already made an enormous impact on one family. She was working in the ER one evening May 3rd when Kim Smith walked in with her two young, and very upset, boys. Gael, age 4, had been playing at home when he ran into a door, tearing a gash in his eyebrow. He and his older brother, Elijah, were hungry and wound up, when Christine walked by and noticed them. She stopped to talk to the boys, who took to her warmth and charm instantly. “I could tell as I interacted with the boys and made them feel more comfortable, [their mother] began to calm down,” she said.
Christine saw them through the long evening in the ER, continually checking on them. She talked to them about what had happened, played with them for a bit, and then helped their mother to find some snacks and toys. Both the boys and their mother relaxed and actually had some fun while waiting. In fact, they bonded with each other and with Christine.
“In a very stressful situation,” said Smith, “she was my light. I will never forget her demeanor and the beautiful energy I saw her put forth in every single thing she did that evening.”
“In the fast paced environment such as the ER, doctors are attending to many things at once,” said Christine. “It is easy for patients to feel overlooked, and the anxiety of waiting can be overwhelming. I am glad that I was able to be there for this family.”
Who Christine is . . .
- She is a senior at Brooklyn College, majoring in English and Pre-Med.
What Christine does at NYM . . .
- She has been volunteering in the Project Contact program in the NYM emergency room since February.
What volunteering at NYM has taught Christine…
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“As a volunteer, I've realized that it's the small things that can truly turn someone's stay at the Hospital around”
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“It is easy to feel little amongst the doctors, nurses and other workers, but then I remember that just listening to a patient about their complaints, or getting them lunch, or checking on them is enough and will help me as I journey into the field of medicine.”
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“I believe that a good doctor or medical professional does his or her best to do whatever it takes to make a patient feel secure. Although the feat is not easy, it should be done because when you a strip a patient away from their illness, they are human, and deserve respect and dignity.”
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