MATTHEW DEL BUSTO | STAFF REPORTER
The Butler Chapter of Timmy Global Health (Timmy) is preparing for its annual Colorful Run/Walk. The event will be held on Oct. 3 on Butler University’s East Mall at 9 a.m.
Ashni Patel, President of the Butler chapter of Timmy, senior biology/pre-med major, said Timmy is an organization that is working to end health disparities around the world.
“We do this in basically three ways: service, encouraging the next generation to step up and fight and then actually going to these countries and helping out,” Patel said.
Dr. Charles Dietzen founded Timmy in 1997, with its headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. Timmy’s mission is, “All people, regardless of who they are, what resources they have, and where they live, should have access to quality healthcare,” according to timmyglobalhealth.org.
Morgan Blake, fundraising chair for Timmy, senior chemistry/pre-med major, said “The mission of Timmy is to empower students to extend access to health care whether it be here or abroad. There’s a lot of education and learning involved on the part of the students and the people that we serve.”
All of the funds raised by the run/walk go to Timmy’s partner clinic, Pop Wuj , in Guatemala. Patel said it has a two-fold mission; first to raise money, and second to create awareness and let people know what Timmy is and what they can do to help.
Each May, Butler’s Timmy chapter sends members to the Pop Wuj clinic. Patel said she went to the clinic two years ago. Those from Butler’s Timmy chapter go with nurses, doctors, PAs, pharmacists and any other medical help they can get. As the students do not have the medical experience to do doctoral duties, Patel said they help out by watching the kids who come, scribing for the doctors, translating if possible and helping out in the pharmacy.
Blake went on her first Timmy trip to Guatemala this past May.
“It’s incredible to see how grateful people are and that’s kind of what drives me to continue on this path of service. There’s a lot of need where we go,” Blake said.
Although Timmy has a large international focus, Patel said it also focuses on local issues.
“We go to a conference every year and that’s a change where we get to collaborate with other Timmy chapters,” Patel said. She also said they get to interact with the founder, Dr. Dietzen.
“You get to see the face behind Timmy and you get to see his passion and it’s just kind of contagious and the fact that he’s been doing this for so long and that fire is still there is awesome,” Patel said. “Headquarters is less than 10 minutes away and seeing all those people that work headquarters just love Timmy so much and do everything in their power to help us thrive as a Timmy chapter. It’s one of those things where you can’t help but feel like you have to give it your all.”
Blake said her involvement in Timmy motivates her to extend access to health care when she becomes a physician.
“It doesn’t take a huge act or a huge group of people to make a difference, and so I think Timmy empowers people,” Blake said. “It empowers the individual to make a difference. Just seeing firsthand that difference one person can make is incredible and so if everybody did one thing then it’d change the world.”
