November West Oahu Hospice Hero
Posted on November 17, 2020
Hospice Hero
Taking care of your elders is a large part of Filipino culture. Throughout his childhood, John 'Jaqi' Ibbay watched his mother care for his grandparents until they passed. While the responsibility was stressful at times, he remembers the joy that taking care of them brought to her. "It made me realize that caring is unconditional," Jaqi explained.
This tradition of taking care of others inspired Jaqi to study nursing. Jaqi was born and raised in the Philippines, and is the youngest of four siblings. Before moving to the United States, he earned his associate's degree in Midwifery, followed by his BSN. He then began his 13-year RN career at his local hospital in the Philippines. Being drawn to the U.S., Jaqi spent three years living in Los Angeles before making his way to the islands.
Jaqi
now works as an Clinical Liaison with our Islands Hospice ohana and educates
families about Islands Hospice services while building and nurturing
relationships with referral sources. His ability to interface with our
families, patients, partners, and colleagues positively makes him our November
West Oahu Hospice Hero.
While
providing exceptional customer service is central to Jaqi’s role, his patients
and their families provide Jaqi with a fulfilling and exciting career. "I
enjoy meeting people, no matter how diverse, learning their history, culture,
and background," explained Jaqi.
On his time off, Jaqi enjoys traveling with friends and family. Although things have shifted due to the pandemic, he focuses on spending quality time with his family, eating, and singing.
Hospice care has helped to frame the way Jaqi views life and has led him to one of his favorite quotes: "Life is short, time is ticking. Every second and every moment is a gift so make sure it is spent well, because when the inevitable death bed comes, you'll have no regrets."