My name is Jaclyn Vanstone, and I'm a Watsi volunteer writer from Canada. After a beautiful Vancouver summer, I will be returning for my second semester of law school in British Columbia to read case-law by day and write Watsi profiles by night.
When I’m neck deep in textbooks of subjects like tax and trust law, there is nothing that makes my day like getting an email saying, “Wema’s treatment has been fully funded!” I love my education and I love being able to be a part of Watsi; it reminds me how fortunate I am to have always had the opportunity to pursue all my dreams.
Each time I write a patient’s profile, I’m humbled by the fact that many patients lose opportunities to go to school, to work, or to enjoy playing with their friends simply because of a medical condition that requires surgery that is out of their reach. Their entire lives change because they cannot get treatment that I would take for granted. When Watsi donors fund a medical treatment, they are removing a barrier that stands in the way of the patient reaching their potential. It is incredibly important work.
To be part of a team that is committed to this goal full-time was such a pleasure this summer. This passionate group of innovators taught me that anybody can make benevolence a full time job, and I think the world is better for it. While my passport keeps me from joining the team in San Francisco full time, I’ll be doing my best up in the Great White North to share the Watsi mission.
Katya Lavine
I manage medical partnerships @ Watsi