The Pre-Med Program at American Heritage School was established 15 years ago and offers high school classes taught by practicing physicians and a curriculum at the same level of college courses found in top universities. “The students thrive both in and out of the classroom, as they complete intensive internships that put them alongside surgeons and specialists right in the middle of ER’s and OR’s, and they volunteer tirelessly at the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit at Broward Health Medical Center putting smiles on the faces of children who are battling cancer. It’s truly life-altering for these students,” said Dr. Douglas Laurie, Vice President of American Heritage School.
The Pre-Med Society is comprised of approximately 200 students in grades 7–12. Their partnership with the Children’s Hospital at Broward Health started with an annual holiday party for pediatric cancer patients and has since evolved to include a pizza party in October, during which time the young patients write letters to Santa with their holiday gift wish list. Then, over the next two months, the pre-med students work tirelessly to fundraise for the money needed to grant each of the children their wishes.
In December, a grand holiday party is held in one of the hospital’s event rooms on the first floor. The students go over on a bus after school the day prior and work until late at night transforming the empty room into a magical wonderland, filled with twinkling lights, balloon arches, festive decorations, and other fun surprises. When the kids come in, many straight from their hospital rooms, their faces light up and for two hours they forget about everything and enjoy decorating and eating delicious cookies, making art projects, listening to the AHS a capella singers, meeting Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and AHS Cheerleaders, and best of all, sitting on Santa’s lap and opening the gifts they wished for two months earlier.
Dr. Carlos Pulido is the Director of the AHS Pre-Med Program and Advisor of the Pre-Med Society. He is a former trauma surgeon who wrote a protocol for the evaluation of trauma patients; he is highly regarded by the students at American Heritage.
“As a mentor, it’s amazing to see the results of our efforts and watch our pre-med students grow and experience firsthand how they can change lives and bring happiness to children with terminal cancer,” said Dr. Pulido. “Med School is a sure thing for the students after they go through our program. It’s incredibly gratifying when they call me and scream, ‘I got accepted to Harvard Med School!’
Miami Dolphins Cheerleader, Brooke, said, “This American Heritage Pre-Med Holiday Party is such an amazing experience! I love getting to know all of the kids and putting a smile on their faces. At many of the other events we attend, we usually just sit and sign autographs. But this is very heart-warming, we are making their day, and it means something to them and to us as well. I’d love to come back every year.”
The President of the Broward Health Foundation, Dennis L. Stefanacci, shared, “This is one of the true highlights of the year for us. To see the students work all year long and culminate in an event like this is such an amazing experience. It’s wonderful.”
“When I first started three years ago, I was scared to interact with the kids at the hospital,” confided Samantha Vincent, an AHS sophomore and cheerleader. “But the Pre-Med Program has made a difference for me because now when I come here, I want to make the kids feel like they are normal and not in a hospital. It’s been a life-changing experience for me, and playing with them makes me feel grateful for what I have.”
At the time Dr. Laurie and Dr. Pulido established the partnership between American Heritage School and Broward Health Medical Center ten years ago, the hospital was building a unit for pediatric oncology patients, and the Pre-Med Society wanted to help. After exploring several different ways they could contribute, they selected one that the hospital imagined would take many years for the students to accomplish. But the Pre-Med Society raised the funds needed–$120,000–in just three years. A special playroom was built in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Center bearing the name of American Heritage School and filled with everything from 90-inch flat screen TV’s along with every movie and video game imaginable to a fish tank, a Healing Garden, and a kitchen for the parents.
The students raised the money by creating “5K For A Better Day,” a race that generated the initial funds for the playroom and has raised more than $300,000 in the past ten years.
Before the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning in February, this annual event will bring 80 AHS Pre-Med Society students headed by Dr. Pulido, along with Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and hundreds of runners who all gather at Broward Health in support of children struggling with cancer. Over $25,000 was raised this past year alone to benefit the pediatric cancer patients at Broward Health Medical Center. Sponsors for this year’s 5K For A Better Day were Herman Construction, Stonegate Bank, Keyes Realty, Miami Marlins, AXA Advisors, Classic Air, Inc., The Ross Group, and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
“The energy of the students, the generosity of our donors, and the support from so many people in our community helped make this another successful 5K event so we are really grateful and happy,” said Dr. Pulido. “The students work so hard planning this event all year, and then they come out here early in the morning and organize everything from registration and the start line, to mapping out the whole route with the police, cheering on the runners at the water stations, and helping at the finish line with all of the running stats that we post at the end. It’s all for those kids in the pediatric cancer unit, and we love to be associated with happiness for them.”
“The 5K For A Better Day completed its 10th year this year raising money to help us care for our children. I am always moved by the Pre-Med Society students’ dedication and passion for helping us make a difference every day. Every time we work with them, they make us want to be better, be more than we were the day before,” said Nicole Sant’Elia RN MSN ARNP CCRN, Nurse Manager of the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Unit at Broward Health Medical Center.
“What I love about our Pre-Med partnership with Broward Health is not only do we host our annual 5K event, but every week we volunteer at the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Unit at Broward Health Medical Center so we’re there with the kids, we’re bringing them things, and we’re interacting with them one on one,” said Sneha Chaturvedi, AHS senior and President of the Pre-Med Society. “We are actually impacting their lives day to day which is very important to me. Since I want to be a doctor, the knowledge I gained from the classes I have taken at Heritage along with the connections I have made with the people I have met gives me confidence that I can accomplish my career goals.”