LGH porter honoured for going above and beyond call of duty

After finishing a late shift on recent winter’s night, Lions Gate Hospital porter Kelley-Ione Leonard was keen to get home and crawl into bed. On the way to her car, she thought she heard a muffled sound, like someone crying. Because she was fatigued and it was late, she questioned whether she had imagined the sound.

But after taking a few more steps, she heard the sound again.

Instead of ignoring it and rushing off home, Kelley turned around to find out where the sound was coming from, but it was dark and hard to see. She turned her cellphone flashlight on and scoured the exterior of the building while calling out, “Hello. Can I help you?” She eventually discovered a person crying and who was in obvious need of attention. Kelley advised the individual not to move while she raced to get help.

Mama bear mode kicked in

Scrambling to find her ID to get back into the locked hospital, Kelley kicked into what all mothers will know as “mama bear mode” to ensure the individual outside got help fast. Once inside, Kelley took charge and alerted all the right people as quickly and calmly as possible. Staff were so appreciative of her composure and for going above and beyond the call of duty, they awarded her with a Staff Recognition certificate at last week’s monthly Take 30 meeting.

“Kelley likely saved a person’s life that night,” staff wrote. We are profoundly grateful to her that words cannot express how we feel. She was the picture of calm and clear headedness in what was a unique situation.”

Clearly humbled by the recognition, Kelley said she only did what anyone else would have done. She was just glad she was there to help, given the general quietness at that time of night.

Working at LGH keeps Kelley young

Kelley’s working life at LGH, interestingly enough, started after her own positive interaction with hospital staff while in for surgery.

“I had a wonderful experience – the staff were so kind and amazing,” recalled Kelley, who was pondering a career change at the time.

“So I asked how I could work here. I thought I might be too old, but I guess not. After working as a porter for a year, I asked if there was anything more I was qualified to do and a manager suggested I become a Medical Surgical Support Worker.”

Kelley enjoys the variety of the work and interacting with patients and staff, who she says are always very helpful.

“I feel youthful again here.”

A few seminal moments in Kelley’s life have taken place at LGH. It’s where her daughter was born and where her mother passed away last year, surrounded by her four children. Kelley’s not sure if she’d call it a perk of the job, but being a porter, she was allowed to transport her mother’s body to the morgue. It was the last journey she’d take with her mother and being able to do it meant a lot.

“I wanted to be with her right until the last moment,” says Kelley, who 19 days later would lose her sister to a tragic accident.

As for what happened on that cold January night, Kelley says she’d do it again in a flash.

An emotional Kelley-Ione Leonard, a porter at LGH, receives a certificate of staff recognition from Cindy Hartley, Program Manager; Neurosciences/ Pediatrics & Peri-Natal Services, Acute Services at last week’s monthly Take 30 meeting.