New to the LEAP Foundation is Pediatric Anesthesiologist Dr. Jami Eidem, who plans to travel with our team to India in February. Jami practices at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, who beautifully shared the following about herself:
“My love for travel began my sophomore year in college when I had the opportunity to spend a month studying in Tanzania. It was a life changing trip that opened my eyes to a whole new world beyond the small town I grew up in just outside of Fargo, ND. I was blessed with the opportunity to return to Tanzania as a teaching assistant my senior year of college. This solidified my love for travel and my desire to explore the world along the road less traveled.
“In medical school, I applied and was accepted into an international rotation at Medical College of Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India. This was my first experience with medicine outside of the US. My favorite experience during that rotation was riding along on ‘home visits’ with nurses to visit the surrounding villages. This was a rare and priceless glimpse of the everyday lives of the people there, how they made the best with what they had and what they did not have, and it touched me immensely.
“I have visited India once since my away rotation, for a friend’s wedding, and I remain amazed by the immense underlying drive to overcome and to improve the circumstances for the next generation. It really is inspiring. I have always had a strong desire to participate in a medical mission trip, and I am happy to say that I am at a good place in my career to really begin giving back. I look forward to this wonderful opportunity.”
Thank you, Jami! Welcome to the LEAP family; we are excited to share the medical mission field with you and our incredible team.