By Ameerah Balogun
Believe it or not, I can be a little socially awkward. This may be surprising considering that I’m constantly surrounded by people while volunteering, especially since my main role is to engage with the incredible patients I meet. When I first started, I struggled to find a way to connect with them that felt natural and fun—until I discovered a game that would change the trajectory of my volunteering experience: Uno! When I first discovered that the unit had this marvelous game, I naturally declared myself as the “undefeated Uno champion” and introduced myself as such! My self-introduction goes a little something like this, “Hello my name is Ameerah and I am a volunteer with Child Life here on the unit. I am here if you ever want to talk or play games. I am the undefeated Uno champion so you can attempt to take my title at your own risk!”
I have had more than a couple attempts to take my title and I’d like to think that my title has stayed intact with the exception of the time an elementary school kid beat me, but in my defense, their father helped them so it was two against one! I would have never thought that a game filled with colors, numbers, draw fours, and skips would allow me to connect with patients on the unit. It is because of Uno that I have been able to allow patients to have a little fun with me while they are waiting for their transfusions to be completed in the clinic or while they await to be discharged from the inpatient unit. Uno has opened avenues for plenty of conversations and interactions with the patients. I have learned about the best pizza places to visit in New York, middle school drama, and I even learned how to shuffle the fancy way thanks to the help of one of my regular Uno opponents. I will never forget the feeling of a parent saying, “Thank you for keeping my daughter company” or seeing a patient excitedly accept my Uno challenge when they were merely scrolling on their phone a few minutes before, or even the feeling of a patient insisting that we play just one game before they have to be discharged. It is times like these where I truly understand and fulfill my role as a volunteer in the unit. The game of Uno has allowed me to do my part in our mission of letting "kids just be kids." Uno is not just a card game to me anymore, but a reminder of the wonders of childhood and the joys of friendly competition. I am looking forward to many Uno games to come and if you ever see me on the unit, don’t be shy and challenge me to a game!
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