When Amy and Mark first started volunteering with The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Arthritis, they had no idea they’d still be helping 20 years later.
At 54, Amy was diagnosed with scleroderma, affecting the body’s connective tissue, overlapping with Sjögren’s Disease, which limits the production of saliva and tears and causes skin dryness.
After receiving treatment from the Rheumatology team at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Amy decided that she wanted to give back.
“The doctors were very, very kind to me so I told them that the hospital has given me so much I would like to give something back,” Amy said.
“What I could give was my volunteer work. That was my thinking, I kept receiving all the kindness and generosity and I am very grateful for that.
“I have a saying that for what I receive I have to share.”
So, their doctor Professor Susanna Proudman suggested to Amy that she should try volunteering with Arthritis SA (which has since become The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Arthritis).
Amy said why not, and after her first week brought Mark along to help as well.
Amy and Mark hard at work at our Welland office.
That was in 2004, and the pair have been coming practically every week since.
First it was to the old office at Glen Osmond, then onto Marleston and, finally, our current office at Welland.
“Wherever they go we follow, we have experienced a very good environment here and it’s just like a family,” Amy said.
“Just recently we were thinking of the days when we first arrived to today and we thought ‘wow, it’s a long, long time’.”
The pair spend a day a week at Welland, sometimes two if it’s busy, helping with whatever needs to be done around the office.
Whether that’s packing information packs or updating supporter information or even volunteering at Kidsflix.
Amy and Mark have no plans of stepping away anytime soon. In fact, they plan to continue volunteering with us for as long as their health allows them to.
“Even if I am 80 or 90 years old and I’m still fit I’ll still come,” Mark said.
A massive thank you to Amy and Mark from everyone at THRF Group – Arthritis for their dedication. We couldn’t do it without people like you!
