Volunteer Stories

Volunteers Brigida and Mihoko share their journey of becoming involved with ICHF….

Brigida Martinez –

It has been a dream of mine since high school to do volunteer work in developing countries. When I became a nurse, I didn’t know that it would be a step towards that dream. In 2007, I heard about ICHF through a co-worker and friend of mine. That July I found myself in the Dominican Republic at Arturo Grullon Children’s Hospital in Santiago. I was on the same team as my co-worker. It was an amazing experience and from then on I was hooked. Working with children in this capacity is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. These medical mission trips remind me of how strong and resilient children are, despite lacking the resources that others might have. Since 2007, the ability of the local team of nurses and doctors has improved tremendously at the facility in the Dominican Republic. Seeing this improvement has been an inspiration to improve not only my teaching skills but also my own education and development. I feel so lucky to have played a small part in this progression. I’m excited about ICHF’s plan to open a Pediatric Cardiac Care Institute at Arturo Grullon. With our help and their dedication they have opened their wings to fly.

Mihoko Sakai —

I heard about ICHF from one of my co-workers who talked very highly about this organization. I always wanted to do a mission trip but I never knew where to start looking for groups. I wanted to work with the local people more than just going into a country and fixing things, and then leaving the country. I didn’t know what to expect from ICHF either, but I wanted to give it a try.

My first trip was more than I expected. I could have not thought of a better trip. I did a lot of teaching with the local nurses and doctors like I wanted to, I learned a lot about their culture, and I loved the concept of building a program there. I want to go back and see the progress that ICHF made. The patients and families were so appreciative of this program, and it was amazing to see the kids from the past 2 years at the press conference, and see how much of a difference this program has made.

Even though there was the language barrier in taking care of these patients, I tried my best to meet the kids’ needs and be able to communicate with them. I did not understand the words, but I knew the families were appreciative with ICHF and being able to have surgery for their children.

Brigida, Mihoko and Jeremy