LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — When a loved one is nearing the end of their life and receiving hospice care, the last thing their family wants is for their in-home care to be held up by administrative work.
It’s taking care of those things, and going above and beyond while doing it, that are putting 17-year-old Carter Davis in the spotlight.
“If you have the ability to go out there and help and there’s nothing that’s preventing you from helping, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be out there helping in some way,” Davis said.
The Lee’s Summit North senior is a volunteer at Integrity Home Care and Hospice.
His attitude and outlook on life helped him win the 2021 Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Associations Heart of Hospice Individual Administrative Volunteer Award, the first high school student to do so.
“He’s above my typical volunteer I would say,” says Susan Menzie, the volunteer coordinator at Integrity Home Care and Hospice who nominated Carter for his hard work going above and beyond what he’s asked to do. “He just gets it.“
Menzie nominated Carter for his dependability, dedication to detail, lack of complaining and ability to do anything he’s asked with a smile.
“He gets that us being able to do other things helps us serve our clients better,” Menzie said. “It makes their care better. I mean they are able to have nurses in their home for longer. They’re able to have aids in their home for longer. They are able to have other volunteers come and do that, and then all the rest of us are able to give them our best because he’s helping us to be ready and prepared. So, it’s too bad they don’t all get to meet Carter!”
Davis said he is happy his efforts set others up for success.
“I enjoy the fact that I know I’m helping in that aspect. Even though I’m not specifically there talking to those people and helping them through their hard times, I’m helping the people that are helping them, which is just kind of a happy thing to be able to say,” Davis said.
A lot of a little can go a long way and at Integrity, a lot of what Carter Davis does makes a big difference.
“I just think it’s an example for what people look for in other people, not just in volunteers and employees and friends. That’s what we look for in people — people you can rely on and count on,” Menzie said. “I want the world to know how great he is.”
“If you can, and there’s nothing hindering you, you might as well help out and you might as well do those sorts of things,” Davis said. “I’m able to take care of that kind of stuff and let those people spend time in the field with the people that are really the point of this.”
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