If you’re unsure of what the term Carepassion means, look to Warren Hughes for the full definition.
For the last 18 years, Warren has made Easter baskets for patients on 4 South Irving, our oncology unit. Nobody asked him to do this; he just took it upon himself to begin the annual tradition.
Using his own funds, Warren shops for baskets and sweet treats. He then brings everything to the unit and assembles about 30 to 40 baskets on a large stretcher, which he uses to deliver springtime holiday cheer from room to room.
Warren was a Nursing Assistant on 4 South from 1998 to 2013, and began volunteering on the unit during 2014, a few months following his retirement.
He began playing the Crouse Easter Bunny in 2000. “My mother used to do special things like this for patients,” says Warren, “and I decided to honor her memory by doing something similar. It brings them some cheer, and makes me feel good, too.” His sister passed away in 2015, so he now carries on the ritual in her memory as well.
Warren lives our guiding principle of Carepassion even in his retirement from Crouse. “I love this hospital and the unit and its staff,” says Warren. “I’ll continue the Easter tradition as long as I’m able.”
Would you like to practice Carepassion as a Crouse volunteer? Visit crouse.org/volunteer to learn how.
