LEAP Volunteer and Team Leader Charlie Lin is a Nurse Practitioner currently working in Connecticut. Charlie has helped LEAP in many ways for most of his nursing career and has traveled with LEAP on twelve mission trips to India, Haiti, Belize, and Mexico. We asked Charlie to share his thoughts about his volunteer work with LEAP during a few moments of down time on our recent trip to India.
Charlie initially became involved with LEAP as a translator for Li Ying, a Landmark Program patient from China. “I found out through my church and agreed to help. After that, I started going on trips!” He quickly became a leader on our volunteer team, willing to help with whatever is needed.
For Charlie, the best part of every trip is getting to see returning patients. “One of the things that is impactful is LEAP’s long-term relationships in the places we serve.” He looks forward to getting to know the kids and seeing them grow year after year. “The procedures performed on these kids will change their outlook on life. The care they receive now will impact how they grow up.”
The community of volunteers is another favorite part of each trip for Charlie. “It is nice to work with people I can share memories with as well as meeting new people and getting to make them part of the team.” The hard work and dedication that all of our volunteers demonstrate keeps Charlie coming back each trip. “How do we best take care of the needs of patients with limited resources? We just do it! It’s a call to action, not a call to silence.”