We hired Gina earlier this year with the knowledge that she first had to fulfill a previous commitment. She traveled to the East African nation of Tanzania for service with Helping Babies Breathe, an organization founded by the American Academy of Pediatrics and international health care agencies to train local midwives in immediate post-birth resuscitation and supply them with the equipment they need to assist babies who do not breathe on their own.
“We are so lucky in America to have an abundance of resources available to assist newborns,” Gina said. “In Tanzania, newborns are four to five times more likely to die when compared to America. Difficulty breathing causes a high percentage of these deaths, which in most cases are preventable. It is an honor to work with these midwives and to be a small part of saving newborn lives. On this last trip, I was able to hold one of those babies in my arms, and it was one of the most precious and surreal moments of my life.”
Participation in Helping Babies Breathe is part of Gina’s continuing education at Duke, where she is finishing her doctoral studies in nursing through distance learning until graduation in May 2016. She and her husband Ryan are enjoying their move to Jacksonville and looking forward to pursuing their careers and home life in Northeast Florida.
