Volunteer Grandpa Bob Finds Second Family at Toledo Hospital

His name is Robert Easler. But to everyone at ProMedica Toledo Hospital and ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital, he’s known as Grandpa Bob. The 85-year-old has been volunteering at the hospitals for more than 13 years and has accumulated more than 7,000 hours of volunteer time.

When he first interviewed to be a volunteer, he thought he might make a good patient transport, moving patients to different areas of the hospital. But the interviewer had other plans.

“She looked at my resume and said, ‘I have a special place for you,’” Bob recalls.

That special place was with children.

“Grandpa Bob loves to interact with all of the children, going room to room with the activities cart and making sure our patients have something to keep them busy during their stay,” says General Pediatrics Unit Manager Sean Beaber, BSN, RN.

He visits various hospital units, including the neonatal intensive care unit, the pediatric intensive care unit and oncology.

“I always give the older children a book or a toy. I read to them, play with them or just sit next to them and hold their hand,” says Bob. “I tell the parents that if they’d like to shower, eat or nap, I’ll stay with the little one. They really appreciate it, especially if the child has been sick for a while and the parents haven’t slept.”

“His specialty is snuggling the babies,” says Sean. “Whenever we have a baby who is alone and needing a snuggle, Grandpa Bob is always willing to come and hold that baby for as long as needed. We have even had parents ask for him by name when they know they will have to leave their baby alone for any period of time. Parents know their babies will be in good hands if Grandpa Bob is snuggling them.”

Bob has two children and four of his own grandchildren. His wife, Kathy, is also a hospital volunteer at ProMedica Flower Hospital. They’ve been married for 61 years. To Bob, volunteering at the hospital is like having a second family.

“They are like my family, the nurses and doctors,” he says. “We all have the same goal and we’re trying to accomplish the same thing. We have a lot of good days; we have some bad days. I’ve seen a lot of miracles.”

Bob, who is retired, says he likes to do something positive every day: “It gives me a chance to do something worthwhile. I can’t wait to get to the hospital in the morning.”

Those at the hospital are just as grateful for him.

“Grandpa Bob is extremely kind and caring and has become a fixture at Ebeid Children’s Hospital over the years,” says Sean. “The world needs more Grandpa Bobs!”