Hometown Hero: Bill Parker

Two days a week, the Vietnam Veteran is there as a volunteer in the surgery waiting room greeting families, helping fill out paperwork, answering questions, and keeping them informed about their child's status in surgery.

Bill Parker had a job delivering gourmet cookies for four years to patients at Cook Children's Medical Center. He was so impressed by what he saw at the Fort Worth hospital that he decided to volunteer there when he retired.

For the last five years, that's what Parker has done. Two days a week, the Vietnam Veteran is there as a volunteer in the surgery waiting room. He greets families, helps them fill out paperwork, answers questions, helps get coffee or water and keeps them informed about their child's status in surgery.

Parker is grateful that his grown children and grandchildren are healthy and that makes him even more committed to help families going through a stressful time in the hospital waiting room.