student life
AN UNWAVERING PASSION
FELICIA LINDSTROM FINDS SOLACE IN HELPING DIABETICS AUTUMN JARRETT • COLLEGE TIMES
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ome grow up and instantly country to send to underserved know of their aspirations and hospitals, clinics and community passions. For others, a lifehealth centers in Nicaragua. changing moment can spark an As a volunteer with Esperança, unknown passion that creates an Lindstrom ensures all donated unwavering flame through all of equipment runs smoothly before life’s obstacles. it is sent abroad. In addition, This is the case for Felicia she sorts and catalogs medical Lindstrom. After witnessing supplies. family members struggle with Besides its international work, diabetes and her grandmother Esperança provides health ultimately losing her leg due to education and resources to complications from the disease, Maricopa County’s most at-risk she knew that she would dedicate and under-served youth and her future to helping others. adults through programs such “I was in junior high when as oral health, chronic disease my grandmother lost her prevention and management, leg,” Lindstrom says. “It’s lifenutrition and parent ambassador changing learning to live without training. a limb. My grandma struggled, This year, Esperança is adding but I was there through the a diabetes curriculum to its whole process of her getting domestic program, something fitted for a prosthetic. I decided that resonates with Lindstrom. back then in junior high that I “Prior to spending time at would have a career in this field Esperança, I was unaware of and work to help others feel the work it does in the local whole again.” community,” Lindstrom says. Lindstrom carried her passion “Because I grew up in a family through high school and even that struggled with diabetes contacted the Association for and know first-hand from my Prosthetics for more insight. grandmother the complications She completed high school and that the disease can cause, it her future seemed bright until is a great feeling to support an tragedy struck. organization that not only helps “I lost my grandmother expand my knowledge, but suddenly,” Lindstrom says. “She also helps provide preventative was my drive, and for a while I education for a disease that has kind of lost my drive.” impacted my family.” Lindstrom started college Recently, Lindstrom was courses right after high school, featured as a Volunteer Spotlight but didn’t complete her degree on Esperança’s blog and her at that time. During her hiatus story caught the eyes of one of from school, she had a baby and Esperança’s partners. decided to return to school once “The director of HealthWorks her daughter entered day care. Collaborative read my story and PHOTO • PABLO ROBLES “My daughter was still young was inspired by my early passion Felicia LIndstrom was inspired to help others after her grandmother passed away. for prosthetics,” Lindstrom when I decided to return to says. “They asked if I would school and I knew it would be in business, I knew it wasn’t for program was the perfect fit,” she be interested in attending a hard to complete a degree that me and longed for a different kind says. “It combined two things I prosthetics mission to Guatemala. required a lot of classes with labs,” of challenge,” Lindstrom says. “My loved—math and science—and I was This is an exciting opportunity to Lindstrom says. daughter was older, and it was time able to follow the career path that be able to learn and experience “I was also working and didn’t to rekindle that passion of serving would allow me to serve others.” prosthetics first-hand.” want to spend too much time away others in health care.” Throughout the program, Lindstrom will be assisting a team from my daughter. It made sense Lindstrom began researching Lindstrom longed for more of prosthetics technicians with at the time to pursue a degree in programs offered at ASU and opportunities to expand her fitting patients for prosthetics. business management.” quickly learned that although knowledge of medical equipment “This mission is a tribute to my After completing her degree, ASU didn’t offer a prosthetics and supplies. This led her to grandmother and the first step Lindstrom worked in industries program, they did have a biomedical Esperança. into my future. I’m grateful to ranging from banking, insurance engineering master’s program. Esperança receives donated HealthWorks Collaborative for this and education. “The biomedical engineering medical supplies from all over the incredible opportunity.” CT “After spending so many years 6 ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | JANUARY 2020
