May 24, 2024#WeAreNorthern
Meet Lyn Elmer, who is celebrating 20 years of volunteering at Broadmeadows Hospital, Northern Health.
Q. Firstly, your coffee order please?
I have a skinny weak cappuccino, extra hot, no sugar. I’ve been perfecting that order for many, many years.
Q. What motivated you to start volunteering at Northern Health 20 years ago, and what has kept you committed for such a long time?
After retiring, I felt it was time to give back to the community and help people. I’ve been volunteering at Northern Health for 20 years now and have enjoyed every minute of it. Not once did I wake up dreading my volunteer duties, I’m always happy to go.
Q. Can you share a memorable experience during your time here?
One of the most memorable moments was with a young mum who had suffered a stroke. She couldn’t walk or speak properly, but thanks to the amazing physiotherapy department at Broadmeadows, she made a remarkable recovery. She learned to speak, use her hands, and walk again. Sometime later, my husband and I were walking through a shopping centre when this lady waved to me. She proudly shared that she could now sing in a choir. It was a very special moment for me.
Q. What are some challenges you’ve faced while volunteering, and how did you overcome them?
When I first started, I was unsure how to approach patients. However, I quickly learned to read their expressions and respond accordingly. As I gained more experience and worked in several different areas at Broadmeadows, I became more confident in my ability to approach patients and attend to their needs effectively.
Q. How do you balance your volunteer work with your personal life?
Balancing my volunteer work with my personal life has been quite easy. My family and friends always knew which days I volunteered and never asked me to do anything on those days. They would say, ‘Oh, that’s Mum’s volunteer day, we can’t do it.’
Q. Looking back at your 20 years of service, is there anything you wish you had known when you first started volunteering?
Looking back, I wish I had known how many wonderful friends I would make through volunteering and how much I would enjoy making a positive contribution to the patients’ lives. If I could speak to myself 20 years ago, I would say to embrace every moment of it and cherish the positive impact on both the patients and the friendships formed.
Q. If you could have dinner with any historical or celebrity figure, who would it be and why?
I have a bit of a quirky choice—Boy George. I’d love to ask him how he does his makeup because I’ve admired it for years, it’s just so perfect. Another person I admire is Mirka Mora, a Victorian artist. Although she’s passed away, I would have loved to hear stories about her life and her paintings, which always conveyed messages of love and hope. Her work is quite magical.
Q. Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
I have a secret hobby that not many people know about—I love to paint and draw. It’s not something I do every day or even every week, but maybe once or twice every five years. I have a painting on my kitchen wall that is cherished by one of my girlfriends who joked, ‘If you go before me, can I have that picture?’ We had a good laugh about it.
