Being a hospital volunteer brought about a kind of healing for cancer survivor Jane Loy. Loy, who has also had heart problems in recent years, said volunteering with Natchez Regional Medical Center has kept her active and kept her spirits up, which she believes speeded her healing.

&uot;Attitude is everything,&uot;&160;said Loy, who has put in more than 2,700 volunteer hours at the hospital in the last 22 years. &uot;I&160;believe it speeds recovery as much as medicine does.&uot;

When Loy started volunteering, she and her family had just moved from Monroe, La. Although the former teacher had her hands full raising five children, she wanted to be active outside the home.

And hospital volunteer work, suggested to Loy by a friend who also volunteered, turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

&uot;It’s been a way for me to get out of the house and get better acquainted with folks in the community, because I&160;come in contact with so many people,&uot;&160;Loy said. &uot;I&160;could stay at home all the time, but that wouldn’t do me or other people any good.&uot;

At Natchez Regional, Loy has spent time feeding and reading to patients and once took the time to comb broken glass out of the hair of a woman who had been in a vehicle accident.

&uot;I&160;think we were both crying by the time I&160;got done,&uot; Loy said.

Now Loy spends every Thursday afternoon wheeling the hospital’s book cart to each room to see whether patients would like something to read. In addition, Loy hopes she can encourage patients with cancer or heart-related problems. &uot;Maybe I&160;can inspire them, … relate to them and show them there’s hope,&uot;&160;she said.