I stepped into the house, and I'm shocked. Even for this impoverished village, this is a new low. I look up and I see hay sticking out of the ceiling. I look all around; all I see is smoke from the burning coal under the bed. I look at her--at this grandma--short stature, gray hair, swollen eyes. I look around at my peers, and for the first time in a long time, I see something beautiful.

On December 25, 2013, I embarked on a trip that would change my life forever. Though this was the harshest winter I'd ever experienced, my heart was filled with warmth at the good that I was doing. The purpose of the trip was to study microfinance, and give out micro loans to villagers that we saw fit. The ultimate goal was to gradually help the villagers better their living conditions. Although all the villagers were deserving of help, and in need of it, a select few really stood out.

The most memorable villager that our group visited was the grandma that my group leader, Andy, from San Francisco, kept talking about. (He had been on this trip previously, and had visited this grandma before). When we were walking towards her home, we learned that her old house had collapsed after a hailstorm, so she moved to a different house. This grandma has many different medical complications such as high blood pressure and kidney problems, and her family history is heart-wrenching. Her son passed away and her daughter-in-law ran away, leaving behind 2 orphans for her to raise and care for on her own. This was devastating, and she cried to the point of permanent blindness in one eye. The government only gives her 50 RMB/month, just enough to buy coal to keep her bed warm, but not enough to keep her whole house warm. Needless to say, she’s one of the poorest members of the village. The previous year, the students on the winter trip pitched in and donated some money. This year, we were told that she used that money to buy medicine to treat her various illnesses, and that without it, she probably would’ve died. I never thought that I could really help those in need, despite the saying “every penny makes a difference.” It was really inspiring to know that the money donated last year by students helped save a life. This taught me that I can make a difference.

The meeting with the grandma opened my eyes to the medical conditions of the village. I believe that people like her deserve medical attention of better quality. The village only has one local doctor, and in his office, there’s only one bed. This bed is where the doctor sleeps, so patients cannot stay overnight, though he does offer 24/7 service. He’s educated and really cares for the well-being of the villagers, but his office lacks modern technology, so he must log everything by hand. All in all, the medical conditions of the village were far from ideal.

We soon realized through these various experiences that the village could not be helped through microfinance alone. Health, education, technology: it all plays a part. For this reason, we expanded the trip the following summer into three large groups, encompassing P2P, Public Health, and Sustainable Environmental Engineering.

The winter trip really made an impression, so naturally, I begged my parents to let me go back the following summer. Little did I know that this trip would further my experience in the village. This time, I was made a group leader. Because I was so touched by the grandma in the winter, I made sure to visit her again. During the winter trip, we decided that we wanted to donate the interest money from last summer’s loans to her. On this summer day, we presented the money to her. Her reaction was not that of an ailing, elderly woman, who desperately needed help. Instead, she was worrying about us, asking how we would get home and feed ourselves. When she expressed her thanks to us for always thinking of her and helping her, everyone agreed on one thing: we were just doing what was right.

We wanted to help out the village clinic as well. When we returned to the village during the summer trip, we brought basic medical supplies such as band-aids. In addition, we donated two beds with IV stands and a computer and printer. With the help of Leo, a student from Beijing, we were able to donate a Chinese human anatomy diagram. All of these events led to a newfound passion for public health; however, one last encounter greatly encouraged me to work harder to fulfill my goals and aspirations.

On the last day at the village, I met a girl--a teenager, Li YuanJia-- who inspired me to really pursue my passion for medicine. I had asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up, and she replied, “a doctor.” I asked her why, and she said something along the lines of, “Because my dad passed away due to poor medical care. Had the medical care been better, he would not have died.” Not only was I moved to the point of tears, but I was also enlightened...In America, we appear to take annual check-ups for granted, and many youngsters strive to be physicians. But in Ningxia, where education is limited and there’s only one doctor per village, becoming a doctor is a long shot. This exchange truly motivated me to take longer strides toward the field of medicine because with hard work, I can make a difference. I can give back to society.