Bill Dawson, a 90-year-old volunteer, makes weekly visits to Saint-Vincent Hospital.
Bill Dawson’s routine isn’t that unusual for a hospital volunteer – until you realize that just a few months ago, Dawson celebrated his 90th birthday. A retired businessman and resident of Centretown, Dawson is connecting with patients at Saint-Vincent Hospital as part of a pilot project.
The hospital, located on Cambridge Street, has implemented an “interprofessional unit model” in which volunteers make weekly visits to provide support to the patients, families and staff.
Volunteers visit once a week for a three-hour shift to participate in activities with the patients. Lemaire says Dawson, who visits the hospital twice a week, is the most dedicated volunteer. He delivers a reading group, assists with games of Scrabble and spends time with patients who cannot leave their hospital beds because they are attached to a ventilator.
“Bill is a life changer,” says Lemaire. “He’s one of the most compassionate people I have ever met and I am so thankful that he discovered Saint-Vincent Hospital. If only I could clone Bill!”
Dawsons lived in Centretown for almost two decades. He was a successful businessman before he retired, owning several firms involved in architectural engineering and construction.
He was also a part-time professor at Carleton University where he taught in the school of architecture for 19 years.
He began volunteering at Saint-Vincent more than a year ago when one of his close friends became ill and was in palliative care at Elisabeth Bruyère Hospital, a sister branch of Saint-Vincent. Dawson says he was moved by the care given to his friend by the professional staff before he died.
“I thought that these people are so incredible for dedicating their lives to helping others,” says Dawson. “I thought maybe it’s time for me to do more than financially help people.”
Dawson says when he started volunteering at Saint-Vincent, which is close to his Laurier Avenue home, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
“It’s an extraordinary experience seeing what people go through,” says Dawson. “There are people who are completely paralyzed and are in the same bed for years. I don’t leave the hospital when I get home because I’m constantly in touch with them.”
Anita Scott-Harrison is a patient suffering from Guillain-Barré, a syndrome affecting the peripheral nervous system. She says she’s thankful for Dawson.
“He (Dawson) reads to me and entertains me,” says Harrsion. “I love him so much. He is more than a friend.”
Dawson also visits Elsie Hudak, a patient who is only able to connect with others via a communication device that allows her to type her words. She also uses the software to write poetry.
“He (Dawson) is an irreplaceable treasure of kindness, intelligence and knowledge,” Hudak typed on the device’s screen, which had pictures of her children and grandchildren. “He’s vital to all he touches.”