Posted by Belinda Handspiker feels she’s living a dream come true.
Currently a unit aid in the IWK’s Emergency Department, Belinda was living in Yarmouth when health challenges necessitated five visits to the IWK and many In Vitro Fertilization surgeries.
“I had a wonderful team taking care of me; I would go home and tell my husband that they took such good care of me and I wished I could work there,” Belinda says. “Two months later, my husband was transferred to the city and I got on as a casual worker at the IWK.”
Belinda says even though IVF wasn’t successful for her, it’s a big part of the IWK and helping women in the Maritimes. “I will never forget how well I was treated as a patient here and I feel so truly blessed to be part of this organization.”
Belinda’s responsibilities include taking care of all cleaning and preparation of equipment and making sure everything is in good working order when an emergency presents itself.
“I am eager to take all the training so I can be prepared whenever I am needed,” Belinda says. “Recently, there was an incident that required decontamination and I was so pleased I knew what I was doing because it really made a real difference to the patient’s comfort level and eased the pain.”
Belinda says she feels incredibly appreciated working for the IWK.
“There’s never a day I wake up and groan and say ‘ugh I have to go work’,” Belinda says. “I started in emergency in 2007 and I love being here. It warms my heart to see the teamwork in this department and I’m glad to be part of it. And to think I work with children every day – it doesn’t get any better than that.”