Lifetime of caring earns Orléans woman Caring Canadian Award

By Paula McCooey, The Ottawa Citizen

Some people are rich in possessions. Phyllis Mayers is rich in people.

With five decades of volunteer work under her belt, the retired Ottawa nurse has helped make life a little better for thousands in the city.

On April 7, she was recognized for her efforts when she was awarded a Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.

This week, she was invited to attend a volunteer appreciation night at the Royal Canadian Legion in Orléans by her MP Royal Galipeau.

But that’s not the first time Mayers was told her volunteer work with the elderly and sick — and raising money for various charities like UNICEF and the Heart and Stroke Foundation — was appreciated. Just look inside her house, and it can tell a thousand more stories.

Mayers’ Orléans garden home is like a shrine to life itself, with dozens of certificates of appreciation, family photos, diplomas, and photos of colleagues, dignitaries, politicians and members of her community adorning the walls. The house is as colourful as the dozens of brilliant faux flowers placed inside and out.

There are plenty of recent additions on the floor too. Frames lean against furniture in wait for the perfect spot. One is the award Mayers recently received from Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean. The other — a four-foot framed photo of U.S. President Barack Obama — will likely prove a little more difficult to find space for. Proud of her commonalities with the American president, she is keen to note: “He’s left-handed, I’m left-handed. I’m a volunteer, he was a community volunteer. He had two kids, I have two grandchildren.” And her list goes on.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Mayers came to Ottawa to study nursing at Saint-Vincent Hospital when she was 18. She stayed for 45 years as a nurse and team leader.

There, Mayers, now 66, worked on improving the quality of life of people in need. Going above and beyond what was necessary, she would return to the hospital on her days off to paint the nails and do the hair of patients, or hold Christmas parties on her floor for patients and their families.

When she started working at Saint-Vincent, Mayers says the hospital was where “people went to die.” In fact, three people died on her first shift. What kept her coming back for five decades — and why she continues to go back as a volunteer since she retired seven years ago — were the people.

“I like the patients, I like the people,” she says, seated at her dining room table. “Some of the patients grow on you. Some of the situations are very sad.”

Mayers says she has noticed that patients who are surrounded by family usually “do better” than those who are alone — which, she says, is why her volunteer work is so important. One patient she refers to as “Mrs. J” came from the East Coast to work in Ottawa a few years ago, but fell ill and lost both her legs. With no family in the city, Mayers made sure to visit her weekly at the hospital.

“She used to look forward to me coming. I’d buy her a coffee; she liked vanilla. And I would sit and watch TV with her and talk with her, do her hair, decorate her room, tidy the room, talk about her grandchildren.”

On Easter, however, when she arrived with a bag of goodies, she learned “Mrs. J” had died.

What Mayers takes from these losses is her appreciation of life and humanity. “You can be wealthy, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing,” says the mother of one daughter.