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101-year-old volunteer at Akron Children's Hospital has no plans to slow down

Posted at 4:10 PM, Jan 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-30 18:09:14-05

For the last 13 years, Rose Carlson has been a fixture at Akron Children’s Hospital.

And the 101-year-old has no plans to slow down.

“It’s fun to do, the people are nice and… it’s a lot of walking!” Carlson said, laughing.

Just months shy of turning 102 years old in May, Carlson has a sense of humor that is contagious.

“She’s just incredible, an inspiration to all of us,” said volunteer director Vicki Parisi. “They enjoy us and we enjoy them.”

The hospital has more than 1,400 volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 101. They run errands, file paperwork, stuff envelopes — anything to help physicians and patients.

Carlson started volunteering at the hospital in 2005, after her husband of 63 years passed away.

“I’d rather do something than sit there and sleep all day,” she said.

Her daughter, Linda Aulino, is the one who convinced her to start spending her Wednesdays at the hospital, adding that the social aspect has been the best part.

“Since she’s 101, she doesn’t have a lot of friends left,” Aulino said. “So she doesn’t have the social life a lot of people would have because of her age.”

Carlson said she plans to keep volunteering — four hours, every Wednesday — for as long as she can.

To learn more, and to volunteer, click here.