SAN DIEGO — April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and Rady Children's Hospital wants to thank a military veteran who has given 15,000 hours of his time to help sick children. In this Zevely Zone, I met Grandpa Don.
From the outside, the Bernardy Center at Rady Children's Hospital can appear cold and clinical but do not be fooled, there is a man inside who warms the place right up.
92-year-old, Don Bellows, visited a child at the hospital decades ago. "Everyone was so kind to the kids," said Don. Some people are born to serve, Don, an Air Force veteran, decided to start volunteering there in 1993.
"If anyone wants to have fulfillment in life and joy in life try volunteering," said Don. He became attached to the patients at the Bernardy Center, a convalescent hospital for medically fragile children.
"Sometimes our kids come here as babies and they live here until they are 21," said Volunteer Coordinator Jenelle Nettles who isn't sure where would they'd be without Don. "Grandpa Don. He is Grandpa Don to everyone here from the staff to the kids," said Jenelle.
For the past 30 years, Grandpa Don kept showing up. "Don is incredible," said Beau Barnum. He is a Recreational Therapist who has seen Don's acts of kindness by the thousands. "Reading them stories, ushering them in their wheelchairs around the campus," said Beau.
Add it all up, it's been 15,000 of volunteering. "He is amazing. Yeah 30 years, it is incredible," said volunteer Nancy Emory who knows exactly why Don keeps coming back.
"Because they deserve this as much as anybody else, I don't know I am so emotional, but they are great kids and I love working with them," said Nancy while holing a patient's hand by the name of Jasmine.
"He's an angel," said Karl Anthony who is a 'Healing Arts' musician. Karl bestowed a second nickname upon Grandpa Don. "He is the Angel man, ha, ha, ha," said Karl. I asked Don what he thought about being called an angel. "I guess an angel is a good name I will accept that," said Don.
Which made the final song of the day make us all feel as if heaven could be actually be a small hospital room in San Diego. "Angel, angel, you are an angel, I see an angel in your eyes," sang Karl to a explosion of applause.
One of the many activities Grandpa Don loves to do with the children is take them to a Padres game.
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