Still giving center her all

Joyce Kim does not look like someone who just turned 90 years old. When she arrived at Glendale Adventist Memorial Center on July 1, she didn’t notice it was her birthday until her co-workers at the hospital gift shop gave her a surprise birthday party.

Kim has a special relationship with the center. The Glendale resident has been volunteering there for 26 years after she retired from nursing in 1962. She also has a son who works as a doctor at the center.

She originally came from Korea to live with her father in Los Angeles in 1941. She could not speak a word of English, but studied the language while attending La Sierra College in Los Angeles. She then graduated as a registered nurse from Glendale Nursing School at Glendale Adventist College in 1949. The college used to offer a program through which the medical center trained students to obtain their nursing degrees.

After she graduated, she attended a Seventh-Day Adventist general conference, where her superiors thought it would be better for Kim to practice midwifery because she planned on returning to Korea in addition to doing her missionary work. However, when she was ready to go back, the Korean War broke out, leaving Kim stranded. She started working as a nurse at La Sierra University, and in the meantime took classes to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing education.

?

YASMIN NOUH: Did you miss Korea when you couldn’t return there?

JOYCE KIM: I missed it in the beginning, but I’ve lived here since 1941 until now. I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived over there. I’m forgetting my Korean, and my English.

?

Q: How do you stay so healthy and active at your age?

A: I am always dedicated to walking in the morning. I used to walk about a mile, but now I walk a half-mile. And I am always happy because I believe in Jesus. Every morning, I pray to the Lord to give me good health. I never prayed for a long life, but that’s what I got.

?

Q: Why does working at the medical center mean so much to you?

A: I graduated from here. I used to work in the hospital sanitarium. We used to help patients when they were at rest, and we would pray with them. This was back in the ’50s, when they would offer you tips for your help. We didn’t accept any tips, though. It’s my duty to help, and I would pray with them. That’s why I’m so happy. I took care of patients, and I prayed with them.

?

Q: What brought you back to volunteering here after you retired?