Here at MEDLIFE we are proud to introduce Janet Ludeña, who has recently joined our staff as a full-time field nurse after volunteering with us for a year! Read more about Janet’s story below:
Where are you from?
I was born in Ayacucho, in the Andes of Peru, but a few days after my birth my family moved to Lima. Since then, I’ve grown up in the capital.
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
I saw a group of foreign students doing a tour in La Rinconada, Pamplona, where I live. There, I met Carlos Benavides, and he told me about MEDLIFE and the work that they do. After I told him that I am a nurse, he asked me to send him my resume. A few days later, I came on board as a nurse during some Mobile Clinics in Villa el Salvador. I continued to work with MEDLIFE on various projects and was also the support for a focus group that was put on by a foreign medical student. It was very interesting for me, as the project covered the preventative benefits of getting an annual Pap test.
A few months later, MEDLIFE promoted me to Community Coordinator, in which I, along with six other people, work to find new communities for Mobile Clinic, and as of last week, I am now one of the full-time field nurses on MEDLIFE’s staff.
What is it that you like most about working with MEDLIFE?
From the beginning I have always liked the educational workshops that MEDLIFE hosts in the different communities around Lima. I can see at those workshops that community members are genuinely intrigued on ways to improve their health by preventative measures.
Can you name a particular patient that has had a strong impact on you?
I don’t have any patients of my own yet because I just began this position a week ago, but with Ruth I met the young Jose Luis Solizor. He’s impacted me because he is someone who has always had his family’s best interest in mind and because of that, he is a very hard worker. Unfortunately, he suffered a harsh accident and since then is unable to walk. Despite is condition, he is very passionate about moving forward and improving his health, and now he is working with MEDLIFE so that he can receive the proper treatment for the road to recovery.
What do you do in your free time?
I love to watch TV and read. I don’t have a particular show or book, but I love all adventure stories and self-help reads.