Earlier this month, Health Minister Daniel Andrews announced the Kew resident as a winner of the inaugural Minister for Health Volunteer Awards.

Ms Piper, a play education volunteer with Southern Health for more than four decades, spends her free time making the stay of sick babies and children in hospital a little easier.

She visits Monash Medical Centre at least once a week to play with the children or to keep them company.

"In my day, visiting hours were very limited, so it meant the children didn't see very much of their parents.

"Some of the children called me 'mummy Piper' and I was able to have a chat or a play with them when their parents couldn't be around," she said.

Ms Piper was a reluctant nominee, only accepting the award to represent Southern Health's many volunteers.

"I do it because I have the time and I've always been a great believer in volunteering.

"My parents always did this sort of thing and as I was one going through the war years, I was able to see the importance of it. It became natural for me."

Mr Andrews said volunteers, such as Ms Piper, had a

"profound impact" on the lives of patients. "She has been available to sit and talk to children when they have been alone or to provide parents with the opportunity to step out for a short time to regroup or just grab a coffee."