By LOIS KINDLE
lekindle@aol.com
Cathy Seale wakes each day with a calling to serve others, guided by a purpose woven into the essence of who she is — an inspirational soul whose generosity feels as natural as breathing.
Whatever the need and whenever needed, she simply shows up.
Seale is an emergency medical technician for the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, and like so many others who volunteer there, she cares for seniors in need of basic life support services with the same qualities that define her life: caring, kindness and compassion.
“There are so many fascinating people living in this community, and we meet them when they’re having their worst day,” she said. “I want them to know we really care about them and will get them the help they need.”
Some people say she cares too much about her patients.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Since she was in her early 20s, Cathy Seale, 68, has been guided by faith to serve wherever needed. She’s currently a volunteer EMT, ambulance driver and assistant chief of education for the Sun City Center Emergency Squad.
“I feel you can’t care enough,” she said. “If that’s how people judge me, I’m okay with that.
“All I see is the patient,” she continued. “Sometimes all it takes to calm a panicking or anxious person who’s had a fall or other medical emergency is a kind word, a gesture or a simple touch. I’ve stroked a patient’s hair, rubbed their hand, asked them about their lives, told jokes — even sung to them — to help them feel loved, respected and know they matter. When I do that, their vital signs improve and their fears and anxiety dissolve.”
Seale’s volunteerism is prolific.
While she works her assigned shift every eight days, she also fills in on other teams whenever they’re short an EMT or driver. And due to the squad’s current shortage of ambulance volunteers, that means a lot of additional shifts for her and other squad members.
“Whenever another team needs help, I always try to step up,” she said.
Beyond that, Seale is the assistant chief of education for the squad. She helps organize all training classes for instructors, orders training materials and participates as an instructor when needed. She teaches the Squad’s Family & Friends CPR classes to residents of Sun City Center and Kings Point and helps out at squad-related functions and community events.
But her volunteerism doesn’t stop there.
She hands out clothing and food to kids in need every other Wednesday at Wimauma Elementary School, teaches Sunday School to youngsters at Total Life Church and often goes with elderly friends and neighbors to medical appointments or helps them with computer or other electronic issues. .
And during this winter’s cold snap, she organized the collection of blankets for the families of children at Wimauma Elementary School and delivered them. Over two weeks, her fellow squad members answered her call and donated 120 blankets.
Seale’s most fervent wish is that more members of the community would see the value of volunteering for any charitable organization — especially for the SCC Emergency Squad.
“When you’re in your 20s and 30s, it’s all about you — school, family life, career,” she said. “Then you hit your 40s and 50s, and a light bulb goes off — you realize it’s not about you, after all. It’s about others, your neighbors, your community.
“Then you hit your 60s and 70s and start to question your purpose in life, and that’s when you realize there is no better way to feed your soul than through helping others. You get out there, and volunteer.
“My best friend in life, my husband, was 10 years older than I and very wise. He used to say, ‘Get out of your comfort zone, and see where life takes you.’”
That led her to volunteer during a corporate career of 38 years in San Francisco for a wide array of charitable organizations — doing everything from working with the terminally ill children, serving the poorest of the poor, the homeless and caring for an elderly couple during the COVID pandemic.
After retiring to Sun City Center in early 2021, Seale volunteered at Beth-El Farmworker Ministry and Our Lady of Guadelupe Food Pantry before joining the SCC Emergency Squad in 2022. She went back to school to become an EMT.
While awaiting her certification, she applied to volunteer on the international Mercy Ship to Sierra Leone, one of the world’s poorest countries and spent nine months taking care of pre- and post-operative patients at its Hope Center and on the Mercy Ship. On her days off, she volunteered at an orphanage, which she continues to support.
“I’m guided by my faith, and many times God has called me to get out of my comfort zone,” Seale said. “I’ve yet to be disappointed.”
Good Hearts is an occasional series about community residents who, through their vocation or avocation, dedicate their lives to serving others.