May 2023 Mission- Molly Henegar

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the VOOM (Vincent Obioma Ohaju Memorial) Foundation is an organization that sends open-heart surgery and adjunct healthcare services to people in Nigeria. After the founder, Dr. Vincent Ohaju Jr., Head of Trauma at CHI St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, TX, watched his own father die of a minor complication from infection (something very treatable with appropriate access to care, such as in the U.S.), he was inspired toward change. After evaluating where to start with improving the standard of care in Nigeria, it was determined that cardiology was a major reason that many are needlessly dying. The VOOM Foundation has built a hospital for its mission, the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, as a state-of-the-art template to begin expansion and access to quality care in Nigeria. VOOM sends a team of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers every 6 months to train and assist in operations to propel healthcare in Nigeria toward greater heights.
I first joined the VOOM (Vincent Obioma Ohaju Memorial) Foundation after hearing a presentation from an officer at a pre-med organization meeting. I was instantly drawn to the work they were doing. I thought it so refreshing that VOOM’s goal is to use healthcare as a means of promoting the empowerment of underserved people. I myself hope to be a physician one day, and I hope that my career is marked by meeting the needs of others in this world, of cultivating the whole person’s health, and advancing equity on a global scale. I have had the opportunity to be selected for the upcoming June mission. Would you consider partnering with myself and VOOM with a tax-deductible donation to continue this mission?