Kayla
O’Brien
Professor
Tierney
Journalism
11/16/12
Leslie Buffo: A Modern
Day Saint
When Mother Teresa herself
blessed Leslie Buffo it’s as if the giving spirit of this saint was transferred
right into Buffo because going out of her way to help others is one ambition
that she fulfills daily.
Leslie Buffo made a life-changing decision in
1989 when she was 31-years-old to ship off to Calcutta, India and work with the
living embodiment of goodness and compassion, Mother Teresa. Buffo volunteered
at the Home for the Destitute and Dying. The residents of this home were mostly
elderly persons whose families could no longer care for them because of a lack
of finances. Buffo explained how she felt that the love and care the residents received
lifted their spirits and gave them peace of mind.
When she arrived in Calcutta, Buffo went to the
Missionary of Charity Mother House where Mother Teresa and the other religious
sisters lived. She was assigned to work in a hospice for the sick,
destitute, and dying in Kalighat because of her prior medical experience. Buffo assisted
the physician with several tasks including suturing wounds, draining fluid from
the abdomen of a young girl with liver disease, administering injections, and
evaluating new residents when they arrived.
“The doctor I worked with said that many people
who came to Kalighat were able to heal faster due to the consistent and
compassionate care of the sisters and volunteers,” Buffo said.
Buffo wasn’t just healing others while she
was in India. She was also there to heal herself. She had just ended her
marriage and was suffering from a broken heart and spirit. She had always
admired everything Mother Teresa stood for and knew that working with her would
allow her to work on rebuilding her own spirit.
“I knew that Mother Teresa was doing God's
work here on earth. I knew that she would be a good teacher and that being in
the daily presence of people working with their hands, hearts, and souls to
help others, I would be healed,” Buffo said.
Buffo was born in 1958 and grew up in
Natick, Massachusetts but currently resides in Westborough. She is one of six children of Larry and Emily
O’Brien and is now married with two children. Even growing up, Buffo always
seemed to put others ahead of her and showed a passion for volunteering early
on in her life.
Her sister, Susan Leger, described how
Buffo was always involved in organizing events in high school and had a very
natural way with people which allowed her to make friends easily. Leger shared
a story that perfectly illustrates Buffo’s commitment and dedication to serving
others during this time.
“Leslie was involved in the blood drives,
but had trouble gaining enough weight to be able to participate. She would
gorge on ice cream to try and boost her weight over 110 pounds,” Leger said.
Her other sister, Margie Reed, shared how Buffo
was always there for her growing up.
“She was like a second mother to me - comforted
me when I had nightmares, introduced me to city life in Boston,” Reed said.
Karen O’Brien, Buffo’s sister-in-law,
hasn’t known Buffo for as long as her sisters have but can still attest to the
woman’s ability to put the needs of other ahead of her own.
“One year my husband was not home on New
Year's Eve and I was alone with my kids because they were all very young. Leslie
gave up her New Year's Eve to spend it with me so I wouldn’t be alone. This
shows Leslie's selfless nature and her gift to always put other people's
happiness over her own,” O’Brien said.
It is this part of Buffo’s character that
is admired by all. However, even though Buffo always had a caring nature about
her, it wasn’t until she volunteered with Mother Teresa that she decided to
dedicate her life to helping others.
“Mother Teresa’s understanding of the love
of God and the example of Jesus' life was very simple: to see the person before
us as someone worthy of all our love, to serve simply and with all our hearts.
This is the motto that I currently base my life off of and so this experience
was extremely life-changing for me,” Buffo said.
All Buffo’s friends and family can clearly
see the effect this experience has had on her.
“Mother Teresa was an angel sent by God to
help those in need, and not just in need of medical help, but in need of
spiritual help. While Leslie observed her work, I know she began to believe that
she would follow in her footsteps,” Leger said.
Today, when she is not working as a
physician’s assistant, Buffo volunteers at a hospice with the Notre Dame
Hospice program in Worcester where she visits elderly people who are dying. She
also participates in several activities with her son’s Boy Scout group and with
religious education in the schools. She tries to live her daily life always
with the teachings of Mother Teresa in the back of her mind and everyone that
knows her would agree that she succeeds at this.
“The woman Leslie is today is loving, caring,
helpful, and kind, one who always tries to bring people together, helping to
mend hearts and families,” Leger said.
Leslie Buffo looked up to Mother Teresa,
however, everyone that knows Buffo will tell you that she embodies the same
qualities of kindness and compassion that this saint did and in this way has
become one herself.
Video: Interview With Leslie Buffo
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