Written by The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation & TPCH Heart and Lung team
Having cared for her unwell husband at home, his passing left a big gap in Jo’s life. Not one to sit idly by, in 2002 Jo decided to put her efforts into volunteering. She joined the Charlies Angels as a volunteer in TPCH’s Heart and Lung Outpatient Clinic Lounges A and B where she worked every Thursday morning (unless she was at Straddie fishing!). Jo proved to be a star volunteer who always offered a friendly face and a helping hand to patients who regularly visited the Heart and Lung clinics.
Jo’s bright personality put a spring in the step of all she encountered. She dealt with patients respectfully and was always a positive light for many who were worried or anxious prior to their appointments. She treated everyone as equals. She was caring, compassionate, energetic, pragmatic and confident. Through her 18 years of being a Charlies Angel, Jo was not just another volunteer to many patients. She became a friend. She would anticipate their annual visits and be concerned if she did not see them. Jo gave the same enthusiasm to her volunteer role as she did her fishing and footy.
Jo was courageous in life and faced her diagnosis with the same courage.
She was a star person who will be missed greatly by the many friends, patients and colleagues she met and worked with at TPCH.