Perhaps the best way to measure Project HEALTH’s impact is to read the words of the families, undergraduates and physicians that allow our unique partnership to make a difference for the health and well-being of low-income families:
A Child
“I’m glad I did the program. I feel happy that I did it ’cause usually I’m a couch potato, sit down, watch soap operas, watch talk shows, eat junk, go to the corner store, buy candy, buy chips, buy candy bars, buy cookies, buy ice cream. Now I’m not like that no more. Now my mother takes me to Jamaica Pond, and we do a ten minute walk around, or walking with my mom to the mall, or cleaning the house, or just being in the park with Lillian and her sister, running around playing tag.”
– Nina Tyler, Boston Girls Fitness and Nutrition Program Participant.
Parents
“Jeremy’s become very independent with his asthma now. He’s very comfortable with it. He doesn’t think of it as a disease or hindering him now. He takes it more as, not so much as a gift, but something he can control on his own, you know, he’s a normal person. Before, he thought, ‘Oh, I’m sickly,’ but the Asthma Swimming Program taught so much about asthma, breathing, how to control it. It has been wonderful, I have no complaints.”
– Alicia Fullerton, Mother of Jeremy Fullerton, Boston Asthma Swimming Program.
“I’m writing this brief note to let you and your staff know how much I appreciate what you all have done for me and my grandsons. Since you started the Swimming Program, I have not been to the Emergency Room, where before I was in the Emergency Room so much it felt like I work there.”
– Ms. Thomas, Mother, Boston Asthma Swimming Program.
An Undergraduate
“So I think it’s important — working with families, having experiences with Project HEALTH, doing community service, because it has broken down stereotypes, it has expanded my vision of what I think is possible, to think big and to stick to my ideals, like fighting poverty and inequality. One of the cool things about the impact of Project HEALTH is that it has attracted people with such different interests that you’re not only going to have an army of doctors with this vision, you’re also going to have people in law, people in the non-profit world, people working on policy, people in business. There are going to be people dispersed in so many different sectors who have gone through a similar experience and have similar ideals and goals. I think that is remarkable.”
– Muriel Jean-Jacques, Campus Coordinator, Harvard.
A Physician
“The social issues, like having money for heat, have a big impact on children’s health. But, physicians can only do so much. My nurses can’t do it all. The social worker we have on this floor can’t do it all. We all feel like sometimes we’re running on a treadmill and just barely staying above water. As part of the team, the Family Help Desk makes a difference. It’s a powerful thing.”
– Dr. Bobbi Philipp, Mentor, Boston Medical Center.