International Children's Heart Foundation

Where Hope Comes to Life

VOLUNTEERDONATE facebooktwitterinstagram

  • Home
  • About
    • ICHF Mission Statement
    • ICHF Annual Report
    • Our Team
    • Our Board of Directors
  • Our Missions
    • Where We Operate
    • Medical Mission Schedule
    • Patient Stories
  • Volunteer
    • Medical Volunteers
    • Medical Student Volunteers
    • Other Volunteers
    • Volunteer Stories
    • FAQ
  • Giving
    • Why Give?
    • Donate Financially
    • Donate Medical Equipment
    • Listen, Read and Give
    • Partners / Supporters
    • Shop, Fly and Give
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Ambassador
    • Gallery
    • Press Room
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Apply to Volunteer

April 22, 2015

Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Taylor

Steve Taylor is a cardiovascular perfusionist and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada. After learning about ICHF from a colleague, he began volunteering in 2008. Steve was looking for an opportunity to contribute to an organization that not only provided surgery to pediatric patients but also worked to equip local doctors and staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to perform complex procedures, something many developing countries don’t have adequate access to.

His first trip with ICHF was to Honduras, and he’s now visited the country nearly every year with the Babyheart team. Last year, he traveled to Jimaní, Dominican Republic, and he will be joining the team later this month in Georgetown, Guyana, for ICHF’s very first medical mission trip in the South American country.

Make a difference by volunteering

As an ICHF volunteer, two moments stand out to Steve. He recalls seeing the pediatric intensive care unit at a local hospital full of children who had just received surgery over the past few days. The room was buzzing with activity, filled with patients and family members who would soon be taking their children home. He knew their lives had been forever changed.

And once, back in Halifax, Steve remembers speaking with a fellow ICHF volunteer from his home hospital about a trip she had just returned from. After hearing about her experience, he understood ICHF’s mission was to leave a legacy in each country and hospital they visit by not only performing life-saving surgeries but also by training and educating local surgeons and nurses to perform procedures they weren’t skilled in before.

Steve Taylor2Steve encourages all volunteers to have an open mind about trip experiences. “ICHF brings you for your knowledge and skills, which are vital for the success of these trips, but what you gain from your interaction with other volunteers, patients, families and local staff is very rewarding as well,” he said.

Donate equipment

A big need ICHF must fulfill is medical equipment. Steve frequently works with his home hospital to donate equipment that still has many years of use left to utilize. We are very excited to share that for our very first trip to Guyana, Steve was able to secure the donation of a heart lung bypass machine from his hospital in Halifax, IWK Health Center, to send to the hospital where the ICHF team will be operating! This machine supports the body while the heart is stopped during surgery, and Steve prepared it to be shipped, sent it all the way to Guyana and will now be the first person to operate it in the country.

Donating equipment is one more way our amazing supporters can help ICHF! We thank Steve and all of our wonderful volunteers that help us do what we do!

Recommended For You

Training Mission Continues to Expand in Monterrey

The BabyHeart team recently returned from the first of four

Saving Lives in Cuba

During our second trip to Havana, Cuba, the BabyHeart team p

Volunteer Highlight – Cristin Bowman

Not all of our volunteers join us on medical missions.  Vol

Future Doctor In The Making

On our May 2017 trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, w

Pre-Med Volunteer Highlight – Sessen Stevens

The BabyHeart Team welcomes pre-med and medical students on

Memphis Surgeon Travels to Guyana on Latest BabyHeart Mission

  Meet Dr. Umar Boston, a Pediatric Cardiovascular S

Filed Under: News, Volunteer Stories

Previous Post Next Post

Free Child Heart Surgeries

7,925 Total Surgeries

News

Training Mission Continues to Expand in Monterrey

The BabyHeart team recently returned from the … >>

Saving Lives in Cuba

During our second trip to Havana, Cuba, the … >>

Mission Statement

The mission of the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) is to bring the skills, technology and knowledge to cure and care for children with congenital heart disease in developing nations.  ICHF does this regardless of country of origin, race, religion or gender. Our goal is to make the need for ICHF obsolete. We work toward this goal through our medical mission trips, where we operate on children and educate local healthcare professionals.

WhiteLogoCR1

Guide Star Exchange - Gold

Sign up for our news

Charity Navigator

Supported By

All Partners & Supporters

  • Accessibility
  • Legal
  • Privacy Statement
  • Sitemap
  • Financials
  • Record Retention Policy
  • Whistleblower Policy
  • Donor Privacy Policy
© 2021 International Children's Heart Foundation served by freshSPRING

Copyright © 2021 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in