Meet ‘The Three Amigos’ spreading smiles at OSF Sacred Heart in Danville
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — It’s rarely fun to go to the hospital. You could be really sick, or stopping by to see a friend. No matter the reason, there’s one team of volunteers in Danville hoping to make your visit a bit better.
“The Three Amigos” each dedicate a day or two a week to give back to the community. The friendship between John Kelly, Jim Mulvaney and Ken Pickard is contagious, and it’s clear why the patients love visiting them as well.
When you walk into OSF Sacred Heart, you’re greeted with their smiling faces. They go room-to-room with items on the “comfort cart,” help people into wheelchairs, or support the medical team.
John has been volunteering for 14 years, learning new stories and gaining life-changing memories along the way.
“The people had just left, they told him it was terminal,” John recalled. “He didn’t want anything on the cart, he just wanted to talk. So I sat down and listened. What he had worried about was his 93-year-old wife at home. They had been married forever. It just touched your heart.”
For Ken, his goal is to bring each patient a bit of joy.
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“When they leave smiling, they remember us,” he said. “A good joy is to see where you bring a person in week after week and you see them improve.”
Besides just the patients, they’re also focused on the people who help keep the hospital afloat.
“We take specimens to the lab,” John said. “Whatever the nurses or staff needs to be done, we try to help.”
He even joked about teasing the hospital’s CEO.
“We tease everyone!” he said.
It doesn’t matter who needs it, they’re just always willing to lend a helping hand.
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“When a person is helped, and they feel better about that, just a little kindness, just a word or two, a gesture, that’s what makes me feel good,” Jim said. “See a smile on their face or gratitude for what you’ve done.”
Besides the connection they make with patients, they all say their strong friendship is one of the best parts.
“You develop a bond here,” Jim said. “You’re doing the same thing, you’re sharing the same stories. Some are more difficult than others.”
They all know this is the most rewarding thing they’ve ever done, and they all feel like a big happy family while volunteering.
Mia Harrier, the community health program manager, said there’s a need for volunteers. Right now, there are about 25 at OSF Sacred Heart. If you’d like to help out in Danville, follow this link. If you’re closer to Urbana, click here for Heart of Mary volunteer opportunities. You can also call 217-443-5279.
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