Langford amputee pays back kindness with kindness

FOR some, amputation of a leg may lead to grief and some soul-searching, but for Ernest Chu it became the catalyst to help others.

Mr Chu spent 72 days in hospital after a leg infection left him in a coma and doctors had to amputate his left leg from the knee down to prevent the infection spreading.

Now the Langford resident volunteers at Fiona Stanley Hospital, helping others through their recovery process and making their hospital stay easier.

Mr Chu said he was inspired to do so by an encounter with a volunteer who had returned to help the hospital after recovering from a stroke.

“I thought ‘maybe I should do something like that’, to pay back the hospital because it’s a great place. They not only do a good job but they have a great heart,” he said.

Mr Chu said the kindness he was shown by the hospital made him eager to return and help those who were in a similar position to him.

“When I was in hospital they really helped me; although they were paid staff they showed kindness, care and compassion,” he said.

“That’s why I was touched and came back to volunteer. I could always volunteer elsewhere, but this hospital left a very deep impression.”

He said volunteering and knowing he helped people in need had been fulfilling.

“Normally with strangers we shy away, but in the hospital we try our best to help them,” he said.

“It’s all from the heart.

“I not only speak for myself, I speak for all the volunteers, they’re all fantastic people.”

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