Countless numbers of CHOC families have benefited from being in the expert hands of Carol Cox, who started her nursing career in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in 1968.
Over the years, Carol has had a front-row seat to the technological advances taking place within pediatric nursing and won numerous awards for excellence in the field. Yet what Carol was most known for was providing compassionate, loving attention to every patient she cared for.
We were thrilled when, after retiring in December 2009, Carol returned to CHOC’s PICU as a volunteer just a month later!
She explains, “After working there for so many years, I realized that a second set of hands sometimes can make all the difference. The fact that I knew the unit, I knew the people, I knew where things were, I felt I could be of value.”
Carol has continued to volunteer in the PICU, a stretch of time interrupted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as a volunteer Eucharistic Minister at CHOC one day a week, ministering to families who desire spiritual support. Now, she says, “I’m just waiting for them to give us the okay to come back.”
Carol also donates financially to CHOC every month, participates in our annual CHOC Walk and gives whenever she can. We’re greatly appreciative, too, that this lifetime CHOC advocate has generously made a planned gift to advance our lifesaving work far into the future. In doing so, Carol has joined the prestigious Circle of Life Society.
“I have, in the 50 plus years that I have been involved at CHOC, seen the growth and I know that is going to continue,” explains Carol.
She believes supporting CHOC is important “because we all have a role to play in the future of children. And healthy children will lead to healthy cities, counties, states and the world. So if I can help CHOC serve all the children in our community—and—beyond who are sick and need help, then I feel like God has blessed me. Therefore, I need to share it.”
Regarding her long career at CHOC, Carol shares, “I just couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It was never a job. It was always a passion. I felt like it was what I was meant to do. My parents were good, hardworking people and they provided for us. And now I want to be able to help. I just want to do it.”
To learn how you can make a planned gift to CHOC and join our Circle of Life Society, please contact Denise Ogawa at (714) 509-3589 or dogawa@choc.org.
