Think of the most impactful people in a hospital. The radiologist who reads your scan and finds the cancer. The doctor who maps out your treatment plan. The nurses who help you get to the bathroom, make sure you’re fed, and try not to stab you too hard when you have to give your tenth vial of blood. All important jobs, no doubt.
But for breast cancer patient Kate Fink – and others who come to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York – one of the most impactful hospital employees doesn’t work inside the building. He stands outside, sporting a Buffalo Bills baseball cap and a smile, waiting to take their keys and park their cars when they drive up to the door.
Jon Avery is a hospital valet.
Every time Kate came to Roswell Park for an appointment, she saw Jon first – which means he saw her fear and anxiety as she waged a deeply personal battle against breast cancer.
But Jon didn’t just take her keys. In the brief time he had with her as he did his job, he reassured her day after day, telling her “You got this,” until she started to believe it. She credits that change in attitude with helping her overcome breast cancer.
Comments on a local Buffalo Facebook page show that Kate isn’t the only person who appreciates Jon’s joy-filled attitude:
“Jon was such a light for me during my treatment…Every time I pulled into Roswell, he greeted me with the brightest smile and somehow made me feel a little better about walking in for another hard appointment.”
“He helps everyone just by being a kind human being.”
“He has no idea the impact his humble kindness brings to patients and their families. His smile lights up your heart no matter what your situation is or the reason for your visit.”
“He is the light in the darkness…What he makes you feel before entering that [hospital] building is amazing! Even on the worst day, he changes your mood.”
Jon Avery has figured out what many of us never do: You can have enormous impact from exactly where you are, no matter what your job is or how much money you have in the bank.
His goal? Every time he opens a car door, he wants to “have a meaningful encounter that’s not hollow.” A real connection with real people. That’s it.
We’re busy. Our resources are limited. It’s easy to think we’ll start making a difference once we have more time, more money, a better job or more influence.
But what if we simply do what we can from exactly where we are right now? Could we really make a meaningful difference? Absolutely. Jon is living proof.
“I serve people, that’s what I do,” Avery told CBS News. “And if I don’t got nothing else in the world that means anything to anybody, I know I can live in service.”
For Jon, that means being patient with someone who gets out of a car slowly, or offering a hug and sharing a few words of encouragement or a high five during one of the darkest times in a person’s life. And for patients and their families, that can be every bit as meaningful as the care they receive inside the building.
Jon didn’t wait for a promotion, a bigger paycheck or until he got all his own problems figured out to make a difference. He started with the people right in front of him.
Every time he opens a door and takes someone’s keys, he has an opportunity to make a real connection, so that person feels seen and less alone. It costs him nothing but a little time and attention. But for a patient going through some of the hardest days of their life, that small moment can feel like a lifeline.
So be a Jon.
Don’t wait for a different job, more money, or greater influence to make a difference. You can begin right where you are, with the people who cross your path today.
YOUR IMPACT THIS WEEK
What person (or need) has been on your heart – and what small act of kindness, encouragement or service have you been waiting for the “right time” to offer?
Think of one person (or need) you can help right now with the time, energy, or resources you already have. Send the message. Make the call and offer help. Just open the door.
That’s how you turn someday into today.
Please share this post with your people and remember that YOU MATTER!
(Photo/Sweet Buffalo-Facebook)
