07/08/2021
We are filled with gratitude and so excited to introduce Leslie Dado as our July Volunteer of the Month. Leslie has been one of our amazing Hem/Onc/BMT Parent to Parent program volunteers for 15 years! Leslie's journey at CMH did not start with her being a volunteer, however. Leslie is actually the mom to a to one incredibly brave daughter who was treated by our oncology team years ago. She learned all of the ins and outs, the needs and wants, and the perfect ways to support parents whose children have cancer. She has dedicated hundreds of hours supporting families on 4H in the Parent Room by offering them a meal, a quiet space and a listening ear.
During COVID as the world was shutting down, Leslie continued to be a strong supporter of the needs of our inpatient Hem/Onc/BMT families, brainstorming and offering to do whatever she could to continue supporting families. Leslie was actually one of the first volunteers to be back on site making sure that the most basic needs of our families were being met, while simultaneously surrounding them with the care and loving support that was so needed. Leslie has actually begun her volunteer shifts early by helping set up a small grocery store type cart and allowing families the opportunity to āshopā prior to her delivery of boxed meals to families. It has been a lifesaver for so many of the parents on the inpatient unit.
Our families on 4H and 4HH, many who spend weeks and months at a time in the hospital, have a unique set of needs that require a multidisciplinary approach including doctors, nurses, social workers, and so many more. I believe our parent volunteers are an essential part of that team and can offer a level of support, knowledge and calming presence that only another parent who has walked in those shoes can provide. Leslie embodies the nature of the Parent to Parent program and fits this role perfectly. We are so grateful for the ability to offer family centered care and our essential parent volunteers like Leslie are true heroes to the patients and families we serve. We appreciate you and on behalf of the CMH staff and families, thank you so much Leslie!
-Hollee Muller, MSW, LCSW, Hem/Onc/BMT Parent to Parent Program Coordinator
https://www.childrensmercy.org/departments-and-clinics/division-of-pediatric-hematology-oncology-and-blood-and-marrow-transplantation/cancer-center/cancer-center-family-care-team/parent-to-parent-program/