Your Heart Stories

If your makes you stand out you’ll fit right in at Subi

Your

Heart Stories

Your heart stories In April 2011 we asked people to tell us on our Facebook Page about their special acts of kindness or hospitality, either at the Hospital or in the community. In a word, we asked them to tell their Heart Stories.

We offered a prize for the most voted stories, but what is most important is that people have been willing to share their experience to inspire other people.

Each of us has a story to tell. These amazing stories are about people and their hearts that made them stand out.

- St John of God Hospital Subiaco

Roadside assistance

By Lucy While driving from Perth to Kalgoorlie, I skidded on some gravel on the road, did a full 360’ turn and ended up in the ditch. Before I’d even realised what had happened, six different drivers had pulled over to make sure I was okay. Thankfully, my young son was completely unharmed. My only injury was a broken fingernail. I only share that because I think it’s funny – all the horrendous injuries I could have sustained and, yet, my fingernail broke. Amazingly the only damage to the car was a scratched hubcap and a flat tyre. A knight in shining armour changed the tyre for me, putting the old one in the back of his ute, and asked me to follow me to the next town. He handed me over to the local mechanic who repaired and refitted my tyre while I waited. When he’d finished, he wouldn’t give me a bill, saying that he would want someone to look after his wife in a similar fashion if anything happened to her.

We often hear of the terrible things that people do but there is so much good in the world. Bad news sells papers, so it’s lovely to have the opportunity to share a story of kindness.

Heart Strength

By Audrey Just after Xmas 2010, my brother in law, Mr Keith Spratt, was admitted to Fremantle Hospital with an aneurism on his heart, the family were informed that there was little hope that he would survive. Then the miracle came about when one of the surgeons thought he knew of a man who could possibly operate. This man was a Mr Stanley, another miracle was that he was in Perth at the time. He had assisted on a procedure performed in America which would possibly help Keith. After much debating and meetings it was decided to attempt this procedure which had never been done in Australia before. It worked and I am pleased to say we still have Keith with us and he is getting stronger every day. I cant tell you how grateful we are to Mr Stanley and all the staff at Fremantle Hospital for saving his life. The story was aired on Today/Tonight TV on Tuesday of this week.

Kolkata

By Kerry After looking for over 2 years to engage in some volunteer work over seas, I finally found a good starting point – working with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India. From the 27th of December until the 4th of February, I was able to experience life in India while helping and serving people who are in great need.

Each day, I began at 7am in Prem Dan which means the house of the dying. Prem Dan houses people who were dying, homeless, or have severe mental illness. 182 women and 100 men are living permanently or temporarily there. Until lunch, the work included washing clothes (all by hand), washing dishes, feeding patients or any other task that was needed on the day. After a few days in Kolkata, I met a French nurse by the name of Celine. Celine runs a charity in the area helping the sick living in the gutters and the streets. It was from here, that I began helping her each afternoon with her rounds. The work involved dressings and the treatment of eye, ear, and chest infections. Malaria, typhoid and TB are a huge problem and seen each day.

There was and is incredible need in Kolkata, so much so, that I wondered how much difference I was actually making. However, I realise now that helping a particular person at that moment in time did make a difference to them.

Will I return? Not sure at this stage, but I would love to do further work like this in the future. I had an incredible experience. India itself and its people are wonderful and I met the most fantastic and generous people from all over the world.

“I realise now that helping a particular person at that moment in time did make a difference to them.�

Make me a big CHANGE

By Kelly St John of God (Subi) has made me a big CHANGE since April 2011. Because my bubs was born in April this year at St John of God (Subi), Thanks all the midwife have take care me and Chloe. They teach me a lot.

My Father

By Monique I remember the care they took of my father when he lay ill in hospital. Remarkably, the male nurse who when my father’s head was shaven, “donated” his own woolen cap so he’d not freeze in the hospital’s air conditioning during winter. That’s a caring heart – not just someone following procedure. This male nurse was kinder even than the female nurses.

I’ll always remember him.

Aching Heart

By Kellye My heart beat for him for 17 years. It carried our hopes, our dreams our fears. But now there are heavy, lonely tears. It lays on the kerb where you left it one day. The day you said goodbye and moved away. fractured, bruised and unloved, who will want me now. I will have to get it together someday, somehow. Then the Lord saw my heart lying on the ground, what was discarded was now found. He cradles me gentle, reaching down from above, and rocks me to sleep with lullabies of love.

My visit to Yappenatim Orphanage - Bali 2011

By Rosalie Over a five day period in January 2011, I was privileged to be able to visit and provide hands-on assistance to the Yappenatim Orphanage in central Bali. Yappenatim is located within the Gianyar Region and in the Gianyar village, about one and a half hours north east of the main tourist areas of Kuta. Yappenatim Orphanage currently houses 127 children, 69 girls and 58 boys between the ages of 6 and 19 years.

The orphanage itself is built on the edge of a hill slope with a river running below. It is part of a Muslim school community, with outside village students attending during the day. The orphanage is a continuation of the school building but unlike the school, the orphanage section rapidly deteriorates into a maze of poorly maintained pathways, dirty water channels beside walkways, loose electrical wires hanging down, mouldy walls, flaky paint, and broken pathways.

The girls live in two dormitory buildings each containing 6 rooms, with 10 to 11 girls per room. Each room is about 5m by 5m in size and the girls sleep on thin mats on a tiled floor, sharing both mats and pillows. They share a small number of timber cupboards for their possessions — clothing and minimal toiletries. Access to toilets/ bathing is across an unpaved dirt area that leads to a downstairs area consisting of four toilets and wet washing rooms. There is no running water in these areas and no child possessed a towel.

The boys area is located on the other side of the orphanage and accessed by a series of steep steps and pathways. They share 6 rooms, and their toilet areas are located further down the hill slope in an abysmally maintained series of toilets , with dirty water in and around the area. They wash in the river which is located further down the slope.

The water supply for the orphanage is from a small well located outside the kitchen, which is dirty, grimy, and its brick walls are covered in green slime. A small pump sends this bore water to a small leaking tank and then via a series of ad hoc PVC pipe work to the two bathing areas. There are no taps or running water throughout the orphanage, which means that the children have virtually no access to drinking water apart from the minimal quantity provided at meal times.

The kitchen area is a dingy, unhygienic room located close to the water well where a cook does the food preparation on a broken tiled floor, using cracked dishes, dirty bowls and uncleaned, minimal utensils.

The diet consists of noodles for breakfast, and rice dishes for both lunch and dinner, with additives for flavour and minimal vegetables. Eggs are provided weekly, with tofu being the only other source of protein which is affordable. The children receive fruit twice a year and milk (watered down) weekly. The children shared plates, cups and forks and spoons.

Through the generosity of friends and my own funds, I was able to purchase sufficient cups and plates and eating utensils, to enable each child to have their own; a towel for each child, sufficient pillows and pillow cases, bed linen, 30 pairs of thongs, which a enabled each child to have footwear; cooking utensils for the kitchen, water bottles for each child, 30 plastic balls, a football, basketball, badminton equipment, educational stationery, soft toys for the girls, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, laundry powder, disinfectants, cleaning equipment, and a large supply of basic medical and first aid items. On several days I bought each child a banana and a rice cake.

In addition, through the generosity of Garuda Airlines, I was able to take 40 kgs of clothing for the children which was warmly received.

I was invited to provide a number of health teaching sessions for the children which included personal hygiene, laundering of sheets and pillow cases and cleaning of the bathroom and toilet areas. I was able to assess the children on a one-on-one basis to ask about health issues, and identified about 12 children who required medical assistance. A list was provided to the manager who was to take these children to the local Clinic in Ubud, which was a free service for Balinese children. There was a clear absence of health support for the children and in most cases, when unwell, they would just take themselves to their rooms and lie on their mats with no intervention or treatment.

It was a privilege to be able to provide the small amount of assistance l was able to, and I intend to return to the orphanage on a regular basis.

Supporting The Community

By Greg Over my time as an employee for multiple organisations I have been a part of initiatives supporting the community. However, there is something different about working at St John of God Subiaco. I believe here at the hospital there is another step taken that I have not been able to see demonstrated previously. The hospital really encourages the caregivers to take it to the next level by getting hands on involvement through fundraising or actually being a part of the activity. The Hospital truly encourages a broader Social Consciousness and it is for this reason that I chose a job requiring me to take an hour long train journey each way, every day. I truly feel by being here I am making a difference.

Recently, I was involved in organising some fundraising initiatives to support the St Vincent De Paul Society in Queensland. They were drastically affected by the floods earlier in the year. With the incredible support of the other engineering team, we were able to put on a breakfast and raffle to raise more than $3000.

Additionally, our mission mentoring team is involved in supporting the Peel Passages in the Mandurah area. For me, when I hear that over 4500 young people are homeless every night in the Perth area, I feel compelled to do something about it.

This is just one way I believe we can make an impactful difference.

Giving of Life

By Gordon On feb 17th 2010 i gave stem cells to a man in Queensland i did not know but was his only match in 13 million donors world wide after the donation i was not contacted as they don’t like that so i waited 12 months received an award as did 12 others for our donations but still i waited and then i received a letter i was a little scared to open it and when i did i was told he had passed away i have since written a letter to his family still no reply and i don’t think i will get one maybe its a little selfish but i feel i have lost someone as well even know i did not know them or even meet them i felt a loss that only i could understand people around me did not know what i felt a part of me had died and there is no one i could explain that to. I gave him an extra 11 months on life maybe that was enough time to complete some dream maybe see his family get stronger but just the not knowing is the hardest part But in the end i would do it all again today tomorrow any day i am asked i will be there arms at the ready cell to the max and a willingness to help other to end this maybe we should all register with the bone marrow register and maybe then people will be able to give life if only for a short while but the short time will be cherished by all Thank you Gordon

“I gave him an extra 11 months on life; maybe that was enough time to complete some dream.”

My Heart Never Skips a Beat

By Claire I was always raised to think of others and I pass that life lesson onto my own children as they grow older. I was a Veterinary Nurse for many years and have rescued many animals. I always give to different charities no matter how small the gesture we can afford as I know it will always add up to something bigger and better for those who need it.

My story is not amazing, nor is it different to many others but it is one of rhythm and consistency.

Just as my heart steadily beats, my thoughts are drawn one after the other to helping others. Every Christmas we donate presents and food, we donate wherever and whenever we can both locally and internationally. When we are fortunate enough to travel I make sure we have enough room in our luggage for donations to orphanages or schools such as the Jodie O’Shea home for kids in Bali.

This year I have also taken the opportunity to give my heart and soul to the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea to raise as much money as I can rather than popping a coin into a tin. Then in June I want to support and promote the Heart Foundation’s Go Red For Women campaign to raise awareness about heart disease. In any regard, it is all because I am so very lucky and so many others are not. It’s not hard, and it’s not always a lot, but it is always as long as my own heart beats.

We need to support our community just as our heart supports us, one beat after the other. Without a heart our community would never survive, just like us. I love my heart, it’s the best thing about me.

My heart is my story.

“Just as my heart steadily beats, my thoughts are drawn one after the other to helping others.”

Angel at the St John of God

By Anita My heart warming story. In 2008 I was diagnosed with Breast cancer, just a small lump but already in the lymph nodes. I needed operations, chemo and radiation therapy. After a few chemo sessions, I felt real down, no hair, feeling sick and so on. A little sorry for myself, my husband and me went to have a coffee at the cafe in St John of God before I needed to see Andrew Dean, the oncologist. I took my hat of, because I could not stand anything on my head, and yes I was bold, but he, so are lots of others and I did not feel ashamed of it. A couple of tables from us, was a lady in a wheelchair, she was looking at me and talking to another lady, I had the feeling they were talking about me, after a little while one of the lady came to our table and she did ask if I would mind to have a word with her sister, who was in the wheelchair, and would not have long to live, only a couple of days. Of course I did not mind at all, the lady in the wheel chair came to my table and started talking to me, she said I was just an Angel on Earth, and she was so happy to see me, her time on earth was almost over, she was in the last stage of her life, but was so thankful she did see me that day, and that I wanted to talk to her. She said that I made her day, because I was an Angel. How special is the fact, that we did not know each other, but the love I felt for her was so much, It was one of the most beautiful moments in my life! We talked for a little while, cried a tear, and hugged. her family and my husband were looking and I could see they were emotional too.

Then we said our goodbye’s, knowing that she and me had a great bond. I am so grateful that I had this experience with her, I do not know her name, do not know when she past away, but I think a lot about her and she made me aware how you can feel love for some one that you do not know at all.

I bless her and thank her for not only make me stop feeling sorry for myself, but also for making that day so special.

I will never forget her. xx Anita

My Answer To God’s Call

By Maria One day when at home as the day of the light was fading away, I open my front door to look outside, no sure why but God knew better. I have an oval at the front of the house, as I looked over the other side of the road; I notice a body in the ground. I crossed the road immediately running to the body and looking for some pulse in the person, no people was around at the time, I began to do the resuscitating respiration, WHEN DOING IT I NOTICE OTHER Man COME TO HELP, the person claiming to have aid certificate too. However, my concern for that life was so great that I totally forgot the concern for my own life too……indeed I did not know who that person was, to me was another human being, appears has been drinking and have got a heart attack falling at the side of the oval.

So my reaction as a loving Christians was clear, there was a soul I did not know was ready to go, and a life to be saved…..thank God I open the door and without demur not thinking in the consequences for me I attended the mouth to mouth resuscitation. God says no poison or deathly thing can affect a child of God. Not that I was thing in that at the time, I just fallow my heart desire to save that man from dying. I continue doing the mouth to mouth and removing whatever fluids come to his mouth, and finally me and the other person who stop also to help; we got the situation under control. I asked him to call and ambulance, and by the time the ambulance arrived, he man was breathing and on his side. We got his documentation out of his pocket, and handle it to the ambulance attendants. What happened afterward I did not know but upon inquiry about the man’s name, I was said he survives. I them went to the family doctor and asked him to test me for the possibility of been infected, when people around me began to say I should not have attended the man without protection to myself…… any how! Glory to God, I was not contaminated and I surely would do it again if this was the call and the circumstances would not allow time to think in my personal safety. I did not think in myself because God who lives in me was taken care of us both, the victim and I. This is my close to heart history a confession to you and to God. That I am writing this to obtain a reward? No sure that it is all; I think is great to be able to share this experienced of the heat, with you all. I thanks God for giving me the opportunity to save a life.

In the love of Jesus Christ, Maria Luezas

My Heart Story

By Carly My heart story is about my mum, she is the most generous woman in the world. She has 5 daughters and 11 grandchildren with 3 on the way. She works two days a week, in addition to this she looks after her father and my father, babysits (at least one child) for at least part of a day every day off she has, will have at least one family over at least once a week for dinner, goes to church and has volunteered in numerous roles in the community from abortion counseling to working with indigenous people.

She is a kind hearted woman who will help anyone in need without expecting anything in return - she refuses to babysit my child if i buy her flowers!! I feel that if i won this and gave it to her she would accept it and it will give her a much needed rest.

Thank you

Multinational Help

By Alex So in one summer evening, I saw a teenager lying next to the kerb. I pulled over my car and when I went out, I saw his leg in is entrapped in his bicycle wheel. He only spoke chinese to me but I cannot understand because my mother tongue is Indonesian. But his friend explained in English that he felt down by himself. A second after that, a chilean couple stop by because they saw us and asked me what happen. I explained and they called ambo straight away. In meantime, I knocked a house nearby to see if there is any tool that I can use to pull his leg out, the Germany owners responded favourably and we managed to get his leg out in a minute or two but his ear was still bleeding. Luckily, the ambo came so fast, less than 5 min since we called them, and the Australian paramedic took a good professional care of him. I don’t know what happen next but I just felt that when it comes to humanity, race and language are not barrier for us.

St John of God Hospital Subiaco Careers