Perfect fit

Teen finds perfect fit in Family Resource Center

By Leslie Hast / September 2009

Haoyu LiIt’s unusual for a teen to choose to spend his free time in a hospital, but that’s just what Haoyu Li does. In fact, he hopes to become a doctor one day.

Haoyu,16, whose English name is Matthew, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at age 7, and now that he is healthy, Haoyu volunteers in the Junior League Family Resource Center at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. He hopes to one day be a physician, maybe a neurologist, but says it’s too early for him to commit to a certain specialty.

“I’ve been around hospitals my whole life, and I feel like it suits me,” he explained.

Haoyu took up his volunteer post in June 2008, and chose the Junior League Family Resource Center because it played to his strengths.

“I’m good with computers and wanted to do something that was active,” he said.

The Family Resource Center is the family information headquarters at the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, helping families understand a child’s medical condition or disability and recommending community agencies and support programs. Last year, they served 12,248 families.

While on duty, Haoyu delivers e-cards to patients, takes recyclables to the collection point, assembles health information packets and maintains databases.
“I always look forward to volunteering,” Haoyu said. “The people are really nice, and I have a lot of fun.”

Every day on the job is different, and Haoyu says he likes the surprise. Family Resource Center staff appreciates his willingness to do any task.

“Our needs change on a daily basis depending on the patients’ needs that day, so he never does the same thing twice,” said Kim Nielsen, program coordinator. “His greatest quality is that he’s never afraid to ask questions. His curiosity makes him a great volunteer because he wants to learn and do things right.”

The staff also praised Haoyu’s work ethic and said he is a joy to be around.
“Even though he is very laid back and subtle, he is an overachiever. Whenever he does anything, he does it to his fullest and the best he can do,” Nielsen said.
“It’s always great when high school students take time out of their busy schedules to volunteer,” said Laura Powers, office assistant. “Matthew has been with us for a couple of years now and we are seeing him grow in his role at the Family Resource Center.”

Haoyu is a junior at Ravenwood High School, and when he’s not volunteering, he likes to read and play tennis.

He emigrated with his family from China when he was 5, and was diagnosed with leukemia two years later.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” he recalled. “I thought I would just be in the hospital for a few days. My family still didn’t speak English very well, so we were given a translator.”

The Li family moved from Minneapolis-St. Paul and Atlanta before settling in Nashville, giving Haoyu a first-hand look at many children’s hospitals. He had follow-up visits with Pinki Prasad, M.D., at Children’s Hospital, and after asking her about volunteer opportunities, she recommended him for the Family Resource Center.

Now that he is “perfectly fine,” Haoyu wants other patients to receive the same care and attention from hospital volunteers as he did.

“They helped me and my family find materials and learn more about leukemia and stem cell transplants. They helped me out and helped me cope,” he said.