October Town Hospice Hero

In the Philippines, Francis Perez worked as a field service technician for a telecommunications company. Shortly after moving to Hawaii in 2010, he decided to switch course. Although he had never heard of CNAs and their employment opportunities, Francis soon found himself earning his CNA certification and then accepting a position at Avalon Care Center.

It wasn’t an easy transition, but he ended up staying with Avalon for almost five years before joining the Islands Hospice team. “In the beginning, I did not like it, but I ended up liking it, and now I really enjoy what I’m doing,” Francis recalled.

Francis credits a shift in mindset for his positive outlook. A self-proclaimed “happy person”, Francis always attempts to start and end his day with a smile on his face. He has now been with Islands Hospice for over five years, assisting patients with their daily living needs.

Francis developed a long list of special memories from patients over the years and recalls one patient who had a playful demeanor. Francis recalls with fondness, “Every time I said, ‘Goodbye’ and ‘See you on the next visit,’ he would reply with a big smile, ‘If you’re lucky!’” 

Francis enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two children, playing video games, toying with RC cars, and watching video blogs about cars.

Francis’ advice to his colleagues is simple, “Just stay positive even though many things are happening right now and, be thankful for everything because we don’t know what is ahead of us.”