How A Future Face in Medicine is Giving Back Today

Meet Gaurangi – a fifteen-year-old student, who at the start of the pandemic, set out on a mission to give back to her community hospital and healthcare heroes.

“My respect and admiration grew during the pandemic when I saw healthcare and hospital staff working so hard to keep us safe and protected. So, before the school year started, I decided that I wanted to do my part to support the healthcare system.”

It was then that Gaurangi started Club Code Blue. A group that dedicates their time to hosting events, in support of local hospitals. Some of their initiatives include selling candy grams with proceeds proudly benefiting the redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital, along with designing beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of art with messages of gratitude, that now line the halls of Burnaby Hospital.

“The feeling of doing good things for others is a very strong motivator for me. I know that I want my future job to be about doing good things for the world, and I think being a doctor fulfills that purpose,” Gaurangi explains.

As someone who aspires to one day be an Orthopedic Surgeon, being involved with the hospital from an early age has certainly expanded Gaurangi’s understanding of how the community truly plays a vital role in the hospitals well-being, along with learning the meaning of philanthropy and what it’s like to collaborate on a team.

“I’ve gained a lot of real world experience and clarity on what motivates me, which is quite new for me as a fifteen year old. It took a lot of work and time to organize all the fundraisers, make candy grams, and sell them. Going into it, I knew what the broad strokes were and how much work I would have to do, but I learnt about all the little things required of me for everything to run smoothly. I understood what it is like to have to coordinate with others, manage a team of my peers, and schedule things.”

On top of being a student and running a successful volunteer group, Gaurangi has also started a NGO that funds medical camps in rural India.

“We have had one medical camp so far which happened in January. We fund the medical camps by selling traditional arts and sculptures on our website.”

When Gaurangi isn’t volunteering or hitting the books, she enjoys writing, being active with her dog, Chocolate, listening to music and play various instruments like guitar, piano, drums, and the flute.

To learn more about how you can get involved and support Burnaby Hospital and the team of healthcare heroes, email the Foundation here.