Our medical volunteers give their time, talent, and services to help people around the world receive the specialized surgical and medical care they need. They frequently sacrifice vacation time and income to go on trips, not to mention taking time away from their families. For every hour spent on a mission, dozens of hours must also be spent in preparation. We have many volunteers who are committed to supporting LEAP both in the mission field and here in the US. Today, we’re highlighting one of these very special volunteers: surgical tech Neomi Rosario.
Neomi has volunteered with LEAP since 2014 and has traveled on 18 missions to Belize, Haiti, India, and Zimbabwe. As a surgical technician, she prepares the operating room and all the equipment and surgical tools needed for surgeries. She makes sure everything runs smoothly for the surgical team before, during, and after surgeries.
Neomi’s dedication to LEAP stretches beyond her time in the mission field. Before our trips, she spends several days working with LEAP staff and other volunteers to prepare and pack each mission’s supplies and equipment at our warehouse. She painstakingly labels surgical instruments for each surgeon’s preferences and prepares medical supplies and instruments for sterilization and transport. She even helped with the warehouse’s recent reorganization project.
She also supports patients and their families who have come to Dallas from other counties for surgery through the Cheryl Lamon Memorial Fund and Mary Lamon Memorial Fund. Most recently, she opened her home to Manuel, a young boy from Nicaragua born with an encephalocele who LEAP brought to Dallas for surgery earlier this year, and his mother, Francisca.
Neomi’s husband, Saul, frequently accompanies her to the LEAP warehouse. He wondered why his wife was so dedicated to helping prepare for missions and going on so many missions. She even changed jobs for the ability to go on multiple trips a year! He didn’t understand until he accompanied her on this June’s mission to Belize. After seeing the dedication of the LEAP team, our partnership with the Rotary Club of Orange Walk and Northern Regional Hospital, the extreme appreciation of the patients’ parents, and the actual lives changed by LEAP, he said, “I totally understand now”.
We are so blessed to have volunteers like Neomi who go above and beyond to help us provide the best possible care for our patients. Thank you so much for everything, Neomi!