Lori Allen has been a dedicated LEAP volunteer for 10 years, and in that time, she has traveled on nearly 20 mission trips to 5 countries. Lori is a recovery nurse who provides excellent patient care to the children LEAP serves. During our most recent trip to India, Lori shared her thoughts on volunteering with LEAP and her mission as a nurse making a difference in people’s lives.
Lori has wanted to be a nurse her entire life. “After 35 years, I still love nursing and caring for people,” she said. “You make a difference in people’s lives.” To Lori, working around the world with LEAP is not a whole lot different than the work she does in Dallas. “Children are all the same: you treat them all the same, take care of them all the same, and love them all the same.”
Jennifer Waters, Lori Allen, and Melissa Howell with a recovering patient on this year’s India mission trip
She continues to volunteer with LEAP because the missions are “very addicting”. One of her favorite parts of every trip is seeing how happy LEAP makes the families. “These are mothers who have been waiting three or four years to see what their child’s face should look like. When I see the moms look at their child for the first time after surgery, it just gets to me every time. The best is when both parents are crying because they are so happy, especially the daddies!”
What keeps Lori coming back is the camaraderie developed during these trips. “We come as friends, and we leave as family. I will never cease to be amazed at people’s capacity for love, courage, and endurance on these trips.”
We appreciate everything Lori does for LEAP and our patients and hope she continues for another 10 years or more!