My name is Eva and I work at the hospital as a cleaner. I often work making and changing the patients’ beds in the wards but just as often my work consists in cleaning the patients’ rooms.  My testimony refers to both kinds of work.

Some patients like to talk and others prefer to be left in peace. When I’m working and the patient is present I always watch out for anything he or she may need.  Obviously, the same holds true for all the other people I come in contact with. I know that in many cases, speaking a kind word can be comforting. For me, that means living hospitality in everyday life life.

I was once the recipient of a wonderful gesture of attention and hospitality from a patient and I was deeply moved.  At that time I was mostly working in the wards, but never in immediate contact with the patients. One day a patient came up to me and told me that he hadn’t realized until then how many people work behind the scenes in a hospital.  The next day he gave me an Easter egg (it was Easter time). That gesture made me understand how important it is to be aware of the existence of the people who surround us and of how gratifying it is to receive attention and consideration from others, even if only through a small gesture.