Looking Back- An Inspiration to Others

Lea Serlin’s caregiver, Paz, opens the door of the Friendly Valley home that Lea and her husband, Albert, bought 35 years ago for $21,000.  Paz, who is from the Philippines, smiles and introduces Lea, who immediately embraces me.
“I always give hugs,” Lea says. This is why she is affectionately known as “the hugging volunteer” at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital where she has spent over 30 years – and thousands of hours – volunteering since she started in 1973 at Hillside Community Hospital in Saugus, the hospital’s predecessor.

 

Photo by grins 2 go – on location photography

 

Photo courtesy Lea Serlin

Looking Back- An Inspiration to Others

 

By Katy Doyle

Lea Serlin’s caregiver, Paz, opens the door of the Friendly Valley home that Lea and her husband, Albert, bought 35 years ago for $21,000.  Paz, who is from the Philippines, smiles and introduces Lea, who immediately embraces me.
“I always give hugs,” Lea says. This is why she is affectionately known as “the hugging volunteer” at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital where she has spent over 30 years – and thousands of hours – volunteering since she started in 1973 at Hillside Community Hospital in Saugus, the hospital’s predecessor. She recalls, “Back when I started, it was only a 90-bed hospital and we were called ‘pink ladies’ because we had pink smocks, not blue ones. I worked in the emergency lobby by myself for 10 years. I remember my husband and I helping to x-ray the trick-or-treaters’ bags of candy to look for razors and pins.” She adds. “Everything’s different now.”
At 95 years old, Lea still drives herself to the Henry Mayo campus twice a week. On Mondays, she mans the information desk and, on Fridays, she takes care of families in the ICU/Surgery waiting room.  “I act as a liaison between doctors and families. I relay information,” she says.
Her career of service to the community began in 1962 at the Wadsworth Hospital in West Los Angeles. “I was inspired to volunteer when visiting a friend’s paraplegic daughter in the hospital,” she explains. “I saw many very active volunteers and thought I could do that.”
And she did. She and her husband, who passed away 10 years ago, worked at the first HMNMH Golf Classic and nearly every other event since for many years, including serving dinner at the quarterly physician’s meetings. “Whatever Henry Mayo was doing and whenever they needed me, I volunteered, “ Lea says. “And then it became my therapy when my husband died.”
An inspiration to others, Lea has also volunteered for the Red Cross, Special Olympics and served on the Advisory Committee at the Senior Center.  She recently received national recognition for her work, being honored with The President’s Call to Service Award presented by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
A mother of two daughters, a grandmother of four and great-grandmother of six, Lea keeps up with all of her family’s news in addition to reading and dancing. She once acted as the Friendly Valley greeter, welcoming new residents to the community. She says, “It was and still is a very lovely place to live. We used to put on shows and I was always the glamour girl. I have very pretty legs.”
As a volunteer, she says, “I’ve taught people how to cha cha. I laugh with people. I hug them. You have to pay attention and be outgoing.” Patting the enormous tabby cat. Kitty, she recently rescued, Lea smiles and concludes, “I’ve always had a very good life.”