Editor:
I can tell you having the Telephone Tree calling you first thing in the morning and waking you up is a real treat. I feel like I’m in a ritzy hotel, when Toni, Bill, Carolyn, Mary Ann, David or Steve gives me a call. It is very reassuring.
I’m a single gal here on the Coast, with family members living in a different province. Due to my singleness, I was pleased to have an acquaintance tell me about this valuable service as I had not given a great deal of consideration to my living alone.
The last thing I remember is telling a dear friend of mine, in Vancouver, that I had that darn pneumonia again and I was going to go to bed with a book and then to sleep. I woke up in a hospital bed not knowing where I was or who I was. I was lucky enough to have a near death experience, which was confirmed when the nurses and doctors in ICU told me they didn’t expect me to live.
Each morning, during these wellness checks, we get to know one another in a unique way. I am grateful to Toni and Carolyn, as they knew I was not sounding like my usual self, and with their protocols in place and their attention to detail, I was helicoptered to Lions Gate Hospital and my life was saved.
When I say, “It was a real treat” to have the Telephone Tree call me every morning was an understatement. They were a lifesaver and in many ways still are as they continue to phone each morning. The Telephone Tree saved my life.
The Telephone Tree is a volunteer run service offered by Vancouver Coastal Health at no charge to recipients. If you or someone you know would appreciate a quick wellness check call every morning please contact the volunteer coordinator at 604-885-8517 or [email protected].
Susan McMillan, Sechelt
