Salute to Volunteers – St. Mary’s Medical Center

Stu Hochron has volunteered at St. Mary’s Medical Center for 2 years or 182 hours. Stu volunteers in multiple areas including the Stroke Support Group, Patient and Family Advisory Council and through the Hospital’s Foundation.

 

Stu’s responsibilities include encouraging stroke patients to come to the stroke support group for support on how to face life following a stroke. Stu first started volunteering after his personal experience having suffered a stroke and receiving what he calls “lifesaving care” from St. Mary’s Medical Center.

 

Stu’s favorite part of volunteering is being around the caring and knowledgeable staff at St. Mary’s and the appreciation they show him by providing hugs and kisses when they see him. One of Stu’s most memorable moments as a volunteer was when he met a patient who was ready to give up on life after a stroke. The patient and Stu shared stories and challenges. Stu then asked the patient to come to the support group to meet others who had gone through similar challenges. As a result of this experience and meeting Stu, this patient now has a new outlook on life.

 

Stu worked in pharmaceutical marketing. Today he enjoys skiing and New York Yankees baseball. Stu recommends getting a good night’s sleep before volunteering because you’ll walk away feeling like you’ve accomplished something so impactful and rewarding each day.

 

 

Bruce Klein has been volunteering as a Baby Cuddler in the St. Mary’s Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for over a year. In 2019, he put in more than 346 hours of cuddling to help the nursing staff with the babies.

 

Bruce owned a children’s retail store for many years, and he wanted to continue to work with children after retirement. According to Bruce, being able to give the babies extra love and care makes his volunteer time all the more worthwhile. He remembers a time when the first long-term baby he held went home and he was rewarded by earning Volunteer of the Quarter. Bruce felt such a sense of pride and appreciation because he knew that not only was he helping the babies, but also he was helping the NICU staff.

 

In Bruce’s spare time he enjoys animals, traveling and theatre. He also volunteers at the Kravis Center and has been volunteering with animal shelters for over 16 years.