Betty

Betty was one of the very first volunteers at the clinic. She and Carol, her neighbor who is a nurse, would come together to volunteer. Betty wasn’t a “medical” volunteer, though she had lived through a serious chronic health crisis herself, and knew the importance of healthcare. Betty had a heart of gold, and would do anything that needed done around here. And, I mean anything. She sorted through some of the dirtiest items I have ever seen. She took on the task of keeping the supply closet organized.

She had a daughter, Julie, who she always said was going to save Chinese baby girls – one at a time. Julie adopted two girls from China during the time I spent with Betty. When Julie was preparing for a trip to China, Betty and I would scrounge around for the items on the list that Julie needed. Some of them were things that we had in surplus here – clean syringes, alcohol wipes, etc. Betty loved her family and would do anything for them.

In April 2004 we celebrated Betty’s 70^th birthday here with a cake and all her “clinic friends.” Age did not slow Betty down at all. She was at the clinic every single Tuesday, and most weeks at least one other day.

Later that year, my husband was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. He had received blood transfusions in 1983 – before the blood supply was tested for all the horrid viruses that are transmitted by blood. My world spiraled out of control – I may be a nurse, but when it is my family, I am completely worthless. I was devastated, frightened and so sad. On Tuesdays, Betty would come in the afternoon early, grab a dust cloth, and come into my office. I’m not sure she dusted on those days – but she listened, she gave me her time, her attention and her affection. I’m not sure how I would have survived those days without her. Betty gave me the priceless gift of herself.

On Wednesday, October 25, 2006, I was in my office with the radio on in the background. I heard that there had been a fatal accident on one of the rural roads in our county. I remember thinking “that’s a bad corner” but didn’t really think much else about it.

That is not until I received a phone call from Julie. Her parents were on their way to see her, and there had been an accident – Betty was dead.

I cannot even remember how I reacted or what I said. Her death was such a shock, and such a loss.

I still miss her. The clinic receives a check every single month from her husband in her memory. We don’t need the check to remember her, but we so appreciate his commitment to the clinic that she loved so much.