Giving Back, Maintaining Purpose
December 2025
article by Maria Weidich
At Intermountain Health, volunteers are the heartbeat of compassion, dedicating their time and energy to support patients, families, and staff, while discovering they gain just as much in return. From comforting NICU babies to guiding visitors, their kindness reminds us that healing begins with human connection. Each story demonstrates how giving back truly yields even more in return.
MEET CYNDI LEAPHART VOLUNTEER ROLE: NICU CUDDLER
"Gratifying"
After more than 30 years as a pediatric nurse, much of that time spent in managerial roles, Cyndi Leaphart found herself missing the hands-on connection of patient care. Volunteering as a NICU cuddler became her way to stay involved and give back. “Although I was working with pediatric patients at my job and we have two grandchildren locally, I knew I still had more to give,” she says.
For Cyndi, holding and comforting fragile newborns is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful. She often thinks about the parents who can’t be at the hospital as much as they’d like, especially those who live out of town or have other children at home. “I consider every baby I cuddle to be like my grandchild and offer them everything I would offer a member of my family,” she says. “When a parent comes in when I'm cuddling, the thankful look on their faces is so rewarding.” “When a baby is fussy and crying, they often burn up calories and put stress on their cardiac system that they can't afford to do,” Cyndi explains. “Sometimes they forget to breathe and just need a gentle reminder.” With her nursing background, she understands the challenges nurses face in managing multiple patients.
Volunteering in the NICU has also been fulfilling for Cyndi’s own well-being. “It is never something I dread doing,” she says. During her cuddling sessions, she reads aloud, sometimes from her favorite childhood books or even recipes. “The nurses always tell me that the baby will probably grow up to be a chef!” she laughs.
“After receiving so much good in my life, I feel it's my time to help out others.” Seeing babies without homes to go to after discharge inspired Cyndi and her husband to become foster parents. “That has been a very rewarding experience as some kids just need a little support while their families get the help they need.”
MEET DUDLEY LEAPHART VOLUNTEER ROLE: NICU CUDDLER
"Contentment"
When Dudley’s wife, Cyndi, began volunteering in the NICU, her stories about cuddling newborns inspired him to get involved. After retiring, he reached out to the hospital to inquire about joining the program and soon found himself stepping into one of the most meaningful roles of his life.
Now, he spends two mornings each week holding and comforting premature infants. “I know that being there gives the babies some much-needed contact and gives the nurses a break,” he says. “I rarely see the baby’s parents since I do the early morning shift, but when I do, they’re appreciative that someone is holding and reading books to their baby.”
For Dudley, the most rewarding moments are knowing that he has made a difference. “It’s so nice to come in and be told that one of the babies I’ve got to know has gone home to its parents,” he shares. “I truly believe that I have the best job in town.”
Volunteering has brought him a renewed sense of focus and fulfillment. “I really look forward to those mornings,” he says. “I find that I’m focused on the babies and not on myself.”
The experience has also shifted his perspective in deeper ways. “It’s not all about me; there are babies out there that can use help,” he reflects. “This has, in a roundabout way, led us to become foster parents for young babies.”
MEET JAMIE GARVEY VOLUNTEER ROLES: GIFT SHOP, SNACK CART, NICU CUDDLER
"HAPPINESS"
After retiring from teaching first graders for 44 years, Jamie knew she needed a new sense of purpose. The inspiration to volunteer came from a deeply personal experience. When her daughter was three months old, she developed a heart condition that required an emergency airlift to a hospital in Denver. “My family was blessed to be able to travel with her,” Jamie recalls, “but we saw so many babies that didn’t have anyone to be with them. I knew that when I had the time, I would like to cuddle babies that might need a little comfort.”
While on a waiting list for the NICU cuddler program, she began volunteering in other areas, becoming trained to serve at The Gift Corner, The Cherry Nook Snack Cart, the Surgery Information Desk, and Guest Services. “All the volunteers that helped me were so friendly and such a wonderful wealth of information.”
When Jamie was finally able to train as a NICU cuddler, it felt like everything had come full circle. “It had been 40 years since I held my own baby, and to be given the privilege of holding these precious babies gave me a sense of peace and contentment that I knew I had been looking for,” she shares. “When I feel my finger being held or even touched by my baby, I hope that means I’m giving a little bit of comfort.” As she hums old songs or quietly watches the infants in her care, she prays that each one will have a life filled with happiness and peace. Meeting the babies’ families and seeing their gratitude has been especially rewarding.
“Intermountain Health has given me a sense of belonging to a family,” she says. “I’m surprised that I’m developing friendships with people that I had no contact with during my teaching career. I love having so many new people in my life as both colleagues and friends.”
MEET DIANE SLAGSVOLD VOLUNTEER ROLES: NO ONE DIES ALONE PROGRAM, HOSPITAL HISTORIAN, GUEST SERVICES
"APPRECIATED"
Diane’s volunteer journey began after reading about the No One Dies Alone program in a diocesan newspaper. With prior hospice experience at Riverstone Health, she knew she could offer comfort in this deeply meaningful role. Although the program wasn’t yet operational, she began volunteering at the Guest Services desk, where she continues to serve two four-hour shifts each week. Once the No One Dies Alone program was launched, she began assisting there as needed, offering companionship to those spending their final moments alone.
Diane’s most touching memory from that day came when she delivered flowers to the Mother and Newborn department. “I was so overcome with emotion seeing the new baby in the room and the joy the parents were experiencing. I felt that I was a part of this.”
Seventeen years later, Diane continues to find deep fulfillment in her volunteer work. “It gives me meaning and purpose,” she shares. “As a retired person, I seek opportunities that keep me involved. My efforts make me feel as if I am doing something meaningful.” She looks forward to each shift, enjoying the camaraderie and friendships she’s formed with staff, visitors, and fellow volunteers.
“This work has helped me be a more compassionate person,” she reflects. “Folks coming to the hospital have distinct stories, and many are packed with emotion. Often, the people I visit with are experiencing great difficulties or great joys in their lives. I’ve become better each day at listening and responding to their needs.”
Originally printed in the December 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine
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