Timmy students serve Guatemala

Timmy Global Health IU Chapter returned late Tuesday night from Guatemala, where 17 students traveled for spring break.

While they were there, they set up medical clinics to treat people and distribute medicine and vitamins.

IU Timmy President David Plankenhorn said the clinics were make-shift, usually a house that was separated into different rooms or just a single room divided by hanging sheets.

“Just because someone was born in a poor village doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get health care,” junior Amy Bercovitz said.

A doctor in Indianapolis who wanted to fight global health disparities started Timmy Global Health 16 years ago. Eleven years ago, IU Timmy was created. There are 35 Timmy chapters, eight in Indiana with the headquarters in Indianapolis.

Most members of IU Timmy are pre-med majors. However, Plankenhorn said the group is not exclusive to this demographic. He said IU Timmy has about 300 members on their list serve and 120 active members.

However, only 17 members were allowed to travel to Guatemala with the chapter.

“There were about 50 people interested, 25 applied and 17 went,” Plankenhorn said. “The board met for five hours to review the applications and decide who went.”

None of the money the chapter raised went to pay for student subsidies. In fact, all of the donations to Timmy go to global health care. There are no administrative costs for the chapter.

“It is one of the few organizations where 100 percent goes to the organization,” Plankenhorn said.

IU Timmy does about seven big fundraisers every year, but members will even rake people’s lawns for a few extra bucks for the organization, Plankenhorn said.

Not only did money have to be raised before traveling to Guatemala, but students also had to “raise vitamins” and recruit medical professionals.

“We communicated with Kroger and others to ask people to buy vitamins and then donate them to us,” Plankenhorn said.

IU Timmy send students to Guatemala every year. Timmy Global Health sends students every two to three months, Plankenhorn said. There is a full time partner association called Pop-Wuj who does health care there year round.

Students saw about 100 patients at each sight and about 500 all week.

“Most of them have never seen a doctor before,” Plankenhorn said.

Sophomore Olivia Sanchez-Elix said she worked as a translator in Guatamala and got to shadow the doctors. She said it was exciting to see the impact Timmy is having.
“We are empowering people to take their own health and global health into their own hands,” Sanchez-Elix said.

Sophomore CJ Skok said the organization has an impact both locally and internationally.

“We are all concerned about one thing, to help one another,” Sanchez-Elix said.

Skok said after going to Guatemala he learned about not taking the small things for granted and to enjoy life.

“Sometimes we get too caught up in tests and exams here, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter,” Skok said.

Bercovitz said she has been to Guatemala twice and as a future medical professional, it is important to build on that passion.

“Everyone is so similar and kids are exactly the same,” Bercovitz said. “Everyone deserves an equal chance at life.”