Carlson Jones '22: Giving Back to our Caregivers

Author: Carlson Jones '22

My sister, Parker, was born with a rare lung and heart disease which caused her to be placed on a heart-lung bypass machine called ECMO. Growing up around hospitals and medical staff, I witnessed firsthand the dedication and hard work it takes to be a caregiver. My mom always says “they saved us” because the nurses and doctors not only took care of my sister but our family too.

I will never forget the nurses who would spend time making crafts or playing Mario Kart with me while my sister was getting her surgeries. Or the kind doctors who would take the few minutes they had on their breaks to race me in the hallways of the hospital.

My personal experience with these caregivers inspired me to find a way to give back. With the help of Ms. Diane Morelli from the Cleveland Clinic, I was able to lead two service projects last year to assist caregivers. The project was to create care bags that included food and other necessities for caregivers at home with COVID-19. In total, I was able to recruit 56 volunteers who assembled 1,300 care bags. I was overjoyed with the outpouring of support from the Beaumont community.

During both service projects, faculty and staff were very involved working side-by-side with students and Mrs. Gail Mastrangelo as our cheerleader and guide. Our Beaumont community leads by example and I have seen how much we can do to serve others. Being in such a positive and charitable environment has motivated me to do more.

These service projects allowed me an opportunity to give back to the people who gave so much to me and my family, too. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have completed these projects, with the help of my peers. As students we are taught St. Angela’s teaching, that the integrity of each person is essential in assisting people in making more of their lives while still contributing to society’s common good. This is a lesson that I will carry with me beyond my time at Beaumont.

In photo (left to right): Cindy Campbell, Gail Mastrangelo, Michele Bernot, Carlson Jones '22, Diane Morelli, and Sue Riley.

Original article from: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2021/11/22/beaumont-news-summerfall-2021-mary-frances-monroe-76-invests-her-expertise-at-beaumont