The Gift of JOY

Joy with me, Peggy Glennie and Linda Manes on Friday morning.

Lake Central homecoming queen and king Joy Wozniak and Kyle Kujawa wear their crowns during a bowling night at Stardust Bowl in Dyer.

Joy will be heading to the Notre Dame game on Saturday morning with her parents.

Go Irish!

When Hospice of the Calumet Area volunteer Joy Wozniak arrived for her Friday shift on October 3, she was welcomed with a surprise celebration in honor of her 28th birthday. Balloons, banners, donuts, and gifts filled the office as her HCA Family gathered to show how much she means.

“Joy brings such a wonderful brightness to our office,” said Linda Manes, HCA medical records. “She has a radiant presence, and everyone enjoys her wit and kindness.”

For the past couple of years, Joy has shared her time and heart with Hospice of the Calumet Area, offering her smile, humor, and warmth to everyone she encounters. Her birthday party was more than a celebration, it reflected the love she gives and the love she receives in return.

My connection to Joy goes back decades. I first met her when she was just two years old. At the time, I worked alongside her mother, Janet, at the Foundations of East Chicago. Janet was a determined advocate for her daughter, fighting passionately for the educational resources Joy needed to thrive. Those early years of persistence laid the foundation for all that Joy has accomplished.

That little girl with bright blue eyes has grown into a remarkable young woman. Imagine my excitement when Janet called me a couple years ago and asked if we could use Joy as a volunteer. I assured her we need Joy more than she needs us.

Each Friday when she arrives at HCA, she greets every person along her path before settling in to assemble admission folders. What could be considered a routine task becomes meaningful in her hands, because Joy approaches everything she does with love. She playfully banters with her pals Joe and Mike and loves giving Caring Canine pup Chloe treats from time to time.

I have been blessed to witness her journey. I remember the toddler who could barely speak yet spoke volumes with her beautiful blue eyes. I remember the high school student who, alongside her friend Kyle, made history as Lake Central’s first Homecoming King and Queen with Down syndrome. That evening felt like a fairytale, and the very next morning Joy asked her mother if she could wear her crown to school on Monday. When she entered her classroom, her peers stood and applauded, affirming what Janet had always known: Joy belongs, Joy inspires, and Joy changes lives.

For the past 15 years, as our paths continued to cross at church, Joy always greeted my wife, my children, and me with the biggest, most genuine hugs. Those hugs remind me of the power of kindness, the importance of perseverance, and the beauty of community. Just as I once watched Janet fight for Joy’s future, I now see Joy giving that same love and encouragement back to the world.

To all who know her, Joy is more than a name. She is a gift. And to us at Hospice of the Calumet Area, she is a living reminder of why cherishing life in all its forms matters so deeply.

Damian Rico is the Marketing Director at Hospice of the Calumet Area. The opinions expressed are his own.