When not studying to one day become a pediatrician, Julie Turgeon spends a few hours at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital every Sunday as a volunteer.
“I’m in charge of letting volunteers in and out, handling food trays, collecting blankets and pillows, whatever I can do to help the nurses out,” said Turgeon, who recently surpassed 120 hours of volunteer service during the last two years.
Turgeon, a Westmont resident and senior at Hinsdale Central High School, is all too familiar with hospitals.
As an eighth-grader, she contracted cancer. She kept a positive attitude despite four rounds of chemotherapy and several months of radiation to combat Hodgkins Lymphoma.
“My family and friends gave me a lot of support. It was really tough, but I just told myself I would get through it, and I did,” said Turgeon.
Surviving cancer and spending parts of the last two summers in Costa Rica and Guatemala performing humanitarian service has given her an insight into helping others, she said.
“My experiences have really opened my eyes to how people live,” Turgeon said. “It’s really rewarding knowing I changed something for the better or made someone’s day a little brighter just by being there.”
Turgeon balances studies and volunteering by spending a month each summer in Belgium, where her family once lived.
“It is very relaxing, no cell phones or computers. It is 20 minutes from the French border, and I reconnect with family I don’t usually get to see when I go there,” Turgeon said.
Notable
n Recently named Junior Volunteer of the Month at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital
n President of the Hinsdale Central High School Photography Club
n Pursuing a career in medicine
& quotable
“Volunteering is satisfying and rewarding beyond just about anything else you can do with your time. Plus, your work is always appreciated,” Turgeon said.
Philosophy
“Take advantage of every opportunity presented to us. Don’t just live life, enjoy it, savor it like it’s all you have.”
Favorites
PETS Two cats, Mufasa, a Persian, and Rocky, a black-and-white domestic breed
MOVIES “Casablanca,” “(500) Days of Summer”
CLASS Earth science and psychology
SNACK FOOD Mangoes, apples
Hinsdale, IL —
