Noah Michaelson - 8th Grade

In the beginning of February, my dad took me and my sister to the Philippines. For 6 days we volunteered at the Southern Philippines Medical Center. In preparation for the trip, my sister and I collected toys to bring with us. We split our time between watching surgeries and handing out toys to kids in the pediatric wing. We spent a great deal of time at the children’s cancer wing where there were happy kids who lit up when they were given toys. It was amazing to see how different the hospital there was compared to hospitals at home. A normal room here designed for 1-2 people would have over 20 people in the Phillippines. Now when I go to the doctors office or hospital I am able to really understand how lucky we are to live in a country where medicine and health care are easily accessible.