Banner Health volunteers have deepened their bond

Sep. 22—Volunteering together for Banner Health has deepened the bond between Peg Lynck and her granddaughter Caitlin Stewart.

Lynck began volunteering at Banner Baywood Medical Center in 2016 after retiring from a career in financial planning. She said she was always drawn to the medical environment, and now that she had free time, she vowed to make it happen.

"Eight years later, Peg continues to make a lasting impact each week she steps through the Banner Baywood front doors," the healthcare provider said in a release recognizing Lynck and Stewart.

"Although she calls herself a 'floater' between her responsibilities, perhaps her two biggest contributions are videography and post-production of the annual volunteer video, and writing 'Life Stories' for patients."

Lynck said she interviews patients and pens a one-page story that "the patient can take home and we can post it for the staff to read."

"It helps everybody focus on the patient as a person and not as a medical job," she explained.

"Sometimes when I go [and interview the patient], they're focused on what's happening right now, today," Lynck said. "And that might not be a pleasant thing. By sitting and reviewing some of their accomplishments, some of the fun things they've done in life...their mood has completely changed when I leave. They are genuinely grateful that I have spent the time with them."

"I feel in like the time I spend here, whether it's two hours or four hours, I've really made a difference in somebody's life," she added. "Whether it's helping [our volunteer coordinators] with something, or whether it's interviewing a patient or whether it's creating a real fun video. I feel like my time has not ever been wasted."

At 80 years old, Peg has no plans to stop her volunteering efforts anytime soon — especially since Stewart joined her at Banner Baywood two months ago.

Stewart graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 with a degree in psychology.

"As she's debating enrolling in graduate school, the 25-year-old decided to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and volunteer," Banner Health said.

"I've always been really interested in the medical field," Stewart said. "So I volunteer in the emergency room. We're directing people checking in, and then also taking visitors back to rooms, making sure people in the lobby are OK and don't need any assistance with wheelchairs or anything like that. We're making sure things are tidy and that patients are protected. I really like [volunteering in the emergency room] so far. I like the energy of it."

"I feel like [my grandma] has experienced so many other things in life than me," Caitlin says. "We're going into this experience with two completely different backgrounds and knowledge about everything, really. It's nice that we have something special to share just the two of us and she can relate to some of what I'm doing and I can relate to some of what she's doing."

To learn more about volunteering at Banner Health: BannerHealth.com/volunteer.