Gunnar Ohlson’s life reads like an adventure novel. At five years old, he immigrated to the United States from Sweden and worked on a farm to help support his family during the Great Depression. He lost his right leg when he was wounded in World War II, and was awarded a Purple Heart. Ohlson spent more than a year in the hospital, and later became a four-handicap golfer and got his pilot’s license.
After retiring from a very successful career in Engineering, Ohlson and his wife began volunteering. “And now, it’s in my blood,” he says with his characteristic relaxed charm.
In the past 9 years, Ohlson has given more than 3,100 volunteer hours to YRMC, serving twice a week as an Escort at the front desk.
“Volunteering at YRMC gives me an opportunity to work with a great and compassionate staff, and as most volunteers say, give something back to the community,” he says.
Click here to watch YRMC Volunteer Spotlight: Gunnar Ohlson on YouTube.
In addition to his Volunteer Escort duties, Ohlson offers to visit with patients who have, or are going to have an amputation. He says that his unique perspective as a fellow amputee allows him to answer questions and offer hope.
A fellow volunteer describes the impact that he has on the patients he serves, “Gunnar considers it his mission to make the people he helps feel better.”
To learn more about Gunnar Ohlson, click here to read the Prescott Daily Courier article, A Salute to our Vets: Veteran Spreads Hope to Amputees .
For information on volunteer opportunities at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, click here, or call:
Volunteer Services, YRMC West, Prescott: (928) 771-5678
Volunteer Services, YRMC East, Prescott Valley: (928) 442-8678
Related: Volunteering at the YRMC Gift Shop is Good for You