Longtime SMH volunteer on finding resilience and community through service
For Judy Hayworth, Sheridan Memorial Hospital represents more than just a place for treatment—it provides strength, healing and community. Recovering from her fifth bout with cancer, Judy continues to approach life with resilience and gratitude, not only for the care she has received but also for the opportunity to give back to the very institution and community that supported her throughout her journey.
Judy was first diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2008, followed by stage 1 colon cancer in 2018, and then faced recurring tongue cancer three times in 2023 and 2024. Throughout those years, she received various treatments at Sheridan Memorial Hospital, and she speaks highly of the compassionate, wraparound care she received.
From surgery performed by Dr. Barry Mangus at Big Horn Surgical to remove part of her colon to Ear, Nose & Throat specialist Dr. Cheryl Varner discovering her tongue cancer, chemotherapy and radiation at the Welch Cancer Center to speech therapy with Wyoming Rehab, Judy is well-versed in Sheridan Memorial Hospital and its services.
“I think it’s wonderful that people come from Gillette, Buffalo and other communities to receive care here,” Judy said. “Sheridan Memorial Hospital has a wonderful reputation, and people know they’ll receive good care. We are very fortunate to have the quality of care that we do here. I had a mammogram last Sunday at SameDay Health & Imaging, and when I left, I told somebody, ‘I would go there any time!’ Everyone there is so nice and efficient.”
Despite her health challenges, Judy found a meaningful way to channel her gratitude—through volunteer work at Sheridan Memorial Hospital and in the broader Sheridan community.
Judy joined Sheridan Memorial Hospital as a volunteer shortly after overcoming colon cancer in 2009, providing companionship and comfort to those waiting in the surgical waiting room for their loved ones undergoing surgery.
“Many times, especially with younger people who haven’t experienced having a loved one in the hospital before, they can be very upset,” Judy explained. “I always try to comfort them because it can feel overwhelming. I like that I can help them, even just a little bit, during those times.”
In addition to her work in the surgical waiting room, Judy also serves as a member of the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, a group of individuals who come together to support the hospital’s mission, staff and patients. The Auxiliary’s efforts include fundraising and volunteering their time through initiatives such as Trees of Love and the annual 5-Year-Old Birthday Party. They also help spread holiday cheer by decorating Christmas trees throughout the hospital and its clinics each holiday season and assist with mailings for the hospital, among other important initiatives.
“The Auxiliary is a wonderful organization,” Judy praised. “They tune into what’s important and where there’s a need, and I love that.”
Judy and her daughter, Heidi, also enjoy participating in the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Link – Partners in Pink annual run/walk each year.
Outside of Sheridan Memorial Hospital, Judy stays just as busy, volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a meal room attendant at The Hub on Smith and an usher and ticket taker at the WYO Performing Arts & Education Center. In recognition of her dedication, Judy received the 2023 AARP Wyoming Andrus Award, which honors the state’s top volunteer over age 50, and was named the 2024 Sheridan College Distinguished Alum.
Judy looks forward to volunteering again after taking a break from December 2023 to March 2024 to recover from tongue cancer. When asked what she would say to someone considering volunteering at Sheridan Memorial Hospital, Judy encouraged them to do it.
“It doesn’t have to be in the surgical waiting room,” she said. “It could be in the gift shop or taking newspapers around. You feel that your time is rewarded for being here. I just love it, the way everyone treats each other. I would say you’ll find it very enjoyable.”
April is National Volunteer Month. If you would like to learn more about Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s volunteer program or share an experience you have had as or with one of our volunteers, please contact Jasmine Slater at jasmineslater@sheridanhospital.org or 307.675.2620.