There is more to life than just death. My time working as a hospice volunteer taught me a new perspective on not only what it means to be a patient on hospice care, but also taught me about what it means to be a part of humanity. My patient, who I will refer to as “Miss M,” was a lovely woman, and the lessons she taught me will stick with me for the rest of my life. “Miss M” and I came from quite different walks of life. “Miss M” was a Jehovah’s Witness, and I was Jewish. The care facility that she was living in was specially made for end-of-life care for people who shared her faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was nervous to meet her and be her volunteer. For starters, I knew nothing about Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I did not want to offend her. Furthermore, “Miss M’s” condition had made it so she was no longer able to speak. How would I know if I said something disrespectful? She wouldn’t be able to let me know what she needed. All of those fears went away the moment I met “Miss M.” Even if she could not communicate with me through words, her bright smile was more than enough to let me know that I was welcome. After talking to her daughter, I learned that “Miss M” used to be an English literature teacher who adored poetry. Suddenly, the two of us did not seem different at all! I, too, love poetry, so the next day I went to Muhlenberg’s library and picked out an anthology to read to her. The next time I saw her, she smiled her beautiful smile at me, kissed my hand, and listened as I read her poems. She would occasionally fall asleep, but when she woke, I could see in her eyes how much she enjoyed hearing the poems. “Miss M” taught me that differences are only surface deep, and what makes us human, like passion and joy, connects us all.
Volunteering allowed me to learn about myself, as well. I started volunteering with Athena in 2024. I had to step down from the program after three months as I started to have health complications. I was later diagnosed with a non-epileptic seizure disorder. After resuming volunteering with The Care Team and Athena in 2025, my new life experiences had given me more insight. The first time I was in the program, I remember learning about aphasia. At the time, I had no experience with this medical condition, and I understood it only as a concept. However, my second time learning about aphasia in the program was quite different. My seizure disorder can result in temporary aphasia, where I am unable to form sentences, I get a stutter when speaking, and I have difficulty understanding others speech. This time around, I resonated with the lesson. It was no longer a concept, but rather a reality. I remember being taken aback because the lesson on aphasia had started to make me emotional. When I sat with my feelings, I learned that I was emotional because I felt seen. Athena’s program taught about aphasia with such empathy and such kindness, even providing tips for volunteers to better communicate with those struggling with this condition. It taught me how important it is to have representation that makes people feel understood. While learning how to better care for my patients, I also learned about myself.
My experiences with hospice volunteering have shown me the importance of this field. It has taught me about overcoming fears of differences and how important it is to feel understood. I will use this experience to help me as I move through my journey in the medical field. When I apply for medical school, I will draw on my time having close and meaningful interactions with patients. The textbooks can teach about conditions, but they cannot teach real-life experience. My time with Athena and The Care Team has been truly satisfying, and I am so thankful I got to be part of this program.