(Narrorator) It's early morning as Michelle Messer and her four-legged friend Hunter arrive
for their workshift.
Sporting their matching vests and official name badges.
This dynamic duo is ready to hit the ground running, Ok, politely walking on a leash,
no running allowed.
to greet patients and offer a comforting word or a paw to patients.
Michelle and Hunter are a volunteer team, part of the popular Paws Force Pet Therapy
program here at Mayo Clinic Health System.
(Michelle) There are many reasons why I volunteer at Mayo Clinic, but probably the most important
one to me is because they saved my life, and I wanted to give something back to Mayo Clinic.
(Narrorator) Michelle is living with stage for ovarian cancer.
Years ago when she was first diagnosed her odds of surviving even a few months were incredibly
slim.
She's undergone grooling surgeries and chemo, twice, and she still here at the hospital
and clinic, no longer is a chemotherapy patient, but as an active volunteer.
(Michelle) I also volunteer because, me being a past chemo patient, I am able to give hope
to other patients and I see the joy when they see the dog and that brings me joy.
Whenever I walk into the waiting room or walk up to a chair it's an instant smile.
So, bringing that joy to people is, it just, it fills me up.
It just fills me up, and it fills them up and a smile can be so simple.
I mean it’s just such a simple thing, but it just, ah, changes everybody’s outlook.
(Loew) A lot of our volunteers are either former patients or families of patients, that
come back and want to give back something.
Jennifer Loew, Volunteer Services Director at Mayo Clinic Health System, says volunteer
like Michelle are inspiring.
The biggest thing about Michelle is just her incredible positive attitude, and her outlook
on life, and her fight, her fight to be here, her fight to be involved and stay involved.
It's just inspirational.
That's, you know, it's like, who do you want to be when you grow up or, you know, if you're
if your tagged with something bad, a rough diagnosis, that's what I want I to be.
I want to be the fighter.
(Narrorator) Loew admits it takes an army of volunteers to make this healthcare community
thrive.
Each year more than 700 volunteers support Mayo Clinic Health System in Northwest Wisconsin
and more are always welcome and needed.
There's room for everyone, from high school students to retirees.
(Loew) You know, some of the more widely known are step force, where they are transporting
and escorting patients for the hospital and clinic, but other areas like our critical
care waiting area where your in the back, working mostly with the families, and communicating
with them, helping get them a warm blanket, making warm, fresh coffee, or maybe making
coffee for the staff because that's what they need.
Another place is our patient companion, where we have volunteers that are going to visit
our palliative care patients and just hanging out, having conversations.
Maybe playing a game or reading a book or writing a letter to somebody if that’s what
they need.
Gift shop volunteers, information desks, almost all of our information desks are staffed by
volunteers.
(Narrorator) In case you were wondering about the numbers, Loew says Mayo Clinic Health
System volunteers contribute roughly 80,000 hours of service annually.
That's the equivalent of nearly 40 full-time employees, a true gift who’s value is priceless.
(Loew) Treating them like they are a treasure is so important, so important to build the
program and so important, then, so that they can share that treasure with our patients,
with our staff, with our families.
(Michelle) I think volunteering as a win-win, because it's really good for me, because I
am not working now, to get out in the public.
And, um, do something that’s helping somebody else.
So, when your helping somebody else, you feel better.
So, it’s helping my health, as well as it is helping theirs.
For more information about becoming a Mayo Clinic Health System volunteer, please call
the number on the screen, or go to Mayoclinichealthsystem.org to learn more.