Meet Paige: BMTU Activity Coordinator
This Spring, we joyfully announced that His Grace Foundation would be underwriting a new, full-time Activity Coordinator for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. We are thrilled to share that Paige Boni has joined the team at TCH and filled this pivotal role.
Get to know Paige and learn more about how she will provide a deeper level of support for the patients and families of the Bone Marrow Transplant than ever before.
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HGF: Paige, how exciting! We are so happy to have you at TCH in this role. Tell us a bit about yourself and what led you here.
Paige: I’m excited too! My background is in teaching. Last year, it seemed as though my husband’s job was going to take us to a new city so I didn’t sign on for another year of teaching and began preparing to move. His project was delayed, so I began volunteering with the Junior League of Houston, which is what led me to TCH!
I was a TCH library volunteer. Spending time there really opened my eyes to all the ways patients are supported (outside of their medical teams). Seeing those different opportunities intrigued me and when my husband’s job ended up keeping us in Houston my mind immediately went to TCH and I started exploring options there.
HGF: Amazing. It sounds like your experience teaching prepared you for the practical pieces of your new role, and your time volunteering helped you get a better understanding of TCH and the needs of patients and their families.
Paige: Yes, definitely. As soon as I saw the job posting I thought it would be the perfect fit. “Play” was my main focus when working in early childhood as a teacher, and being a dedicated support to the BMTU was really a full-circle moment for me.
HGF: Oh, tell us more! What connection did you have to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit previously?
Paige: Not that I recall, but when I was teaching we had a child at our school that had been treated on the unit. It was amazing to see the whole school rally around him. It’s still hard for me to believe that I’m now working full-time on that same unit. It felt like the pieces fell exactly where they were meant to.
HGF: I’m sure his family would be so happy to hear that you’re now here! What are you most excited about for your role?
Paige: I am eager to begin meeting the families and making connections…help them normalize their environment as much as possible. The BMTU is so outside of “normal”, but I want to help them make meaningful memories. It could be as simple as a caregiver spending 30 minutes in the playroom with their child. I am excited to be able to provide those moments for them.
HGF: What an incredible opportunity you have. Bone Marrow Transplants are often referred to as the last hope for a cure, and for you to be able to offer such meaningful moments in the midst of it all is so beautiful. We’re honored to have you as part of our team with TCH.
Paige: I took a leap and I’m so glad it worked out. I encourage anyone who may be questioning their passions, needing to fill their days, to volunteer. You never know where it will take you!
