College of Medicine students partnered with The Equity in Heart Transplant Project to raise funds and awareness regarding health inequality in February. Credit: Lovette Azap
Ohio State medical students are putting their hearts in the right place.
A fundraiser organized by students in the Ohio State College of Medicine to provide low-socioeconomic patients with financial assistance to acquire heart transplants in partnership raised a total of $800 during the month of February.
The fundraiser, which was in partnership with The Equity in Heart Transplant Project, was led by Lovette Azap, a third-year medical student and the chair of diversity and inclusion for the College of Medicine Student Council. Each spring semester, the council hosts a “Month of Impact” to spread awareness on a topic that heavily impacts the Columbus community, Azap said.
“As someone who is really passionate about health disparities, I really wanted to do a health equity theme, not only to raise awareness for the fact that patients are experiencing different social determinants of health that can adversely impact their health outcomes but also to make a difference in our community,” Azap said.
The social determinants of health are the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, including the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, according to the World Health Organization. The lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health can be.
“My parents are Cameroonian immigrants,” Azap said. “As I grow up, I have learned a lot about how my own family members who still live back in Africa have difficulties with accessing health care.”
Azap said she has noticed many patients cannot access health care or have different barriers while working in the hospital.
Brielle Davidson, a third-year medical student and chair of outreach and events for the College of Medicine Student Council, also helped organize the fundraiser.
“As medical students, we learn about health equity,” Davidson said. “We are at a big institution where we can see all the resources and ways we are able to help patients.”
Davidson said she realizes she can make a difference by encouraging others to understand the existence of inequalities in heart transplants.
Financial barriers can lead those who need heart transplants to lose their lives, Azap said.
Azap is also a student ambassador for The Equity in Heart Transplant Project and has engaged in many fundraising initiatives there.
The group is a nonprofit that offers financial support to people who medically qualify for a heart transplant but cannot afford it, according to its website.
“We were able to raise $10,000 [in that organization],” Azap said. “Seeing how all the health care providers were able to come together for just our joint passion towards really improving the lives of our patients was really inspirational to me.”
Azap said her experience with the group motivated her to create the fundraiser.
The fundraiser is advertised mainly in-person, with a little bit online, Davidson said.
“We have different raffle ideas, such as cooking classes and Ohio State merchandise,” Azap said. “We even have a student doing serenades we were able to auction off to different medical students and faculty members to get the community interested.”
Davidson said people get excited when raising money is visible and conducting the fundraiser in person is helpful.
“I hope it may encourage more donations to support patients in receiving heart transplants,” Azap said.
