rj | field file
Ethan, who wants to be a news reporter when he grows up, interviews Staff Sgt. Desmont Upchurch of the Woodland Recruiting Station at the “When I Grow Up” event Aug. 4 for children with heart conditions. BELOW: Sgt. Carlos Serra gives Annabelle Lee an Army teddy bear, as Staff Sgt. Andres Valencia offers a high-five.
Sacramento Recruiters Inspire Children Living With Serious Heart Conditions Story and photos by Cathy Pauley Sacramento Battalion
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t’s not always about recruiting for four Sacramento recruiters who usually spend their time looking for future Soldiers. In early August the recruiters volunteered at the annual “When I Grow Up” event for children with heart conditions at UC Davis Medical Center’s MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute. The event is devoted to helping children with heart conditions maintain normal lives despite frequently being hospitalized for their illnesses. Through the event, the children are encouraged to dream about the jobs and careers they’d like to hold when they grow up. “The excitement on the kids’ faces when they see you was definitely a highlight,” said Sgt. Carlos Serra of Arden Station. “I realize they are normal kids despite all the adversity they have gone through.” Staff Sgt. Andres Valencia, Arden Station, had a personal reason for volunteering. “This past year, I took my daughter to Shriner’s Hospital for Children to get Xrays for her toes. Luckily, she had something which should not physically impair her from developing normally,” Valencia
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said. But “because of her condition, I was inspired to volunteer more often. I hope to bring a smile to more children.” Valencia said it’s important for Soldiers to volunteer at community events, especially those that touch children with medical conditions. “Children can become inspired to look past their medical conditions and hope to do something extraordinary with their lives.” The children showed that even though they have medical issues with their heart doesn’t mean they can’t have big ones. “We were giving out the Army teddy bears and toward the end of the day we ran out,” Serra said. “This little boy pouted and put his head down when he realized he would not get a bear. Then a little girl who had one from earlier in the day came up to him and gave him her bear. It was a real heart-warming moment.” Sacramento medical recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Juvenal Villalobos, who volunteered and donated Army teddy bears to the cause said, “events like these are selfgratifying and bring you closer to the community.” Local TV news anchor Edie Lambert, one of the personalities who took part in the event, invited Ethan, who wants to be a news reporter when he grows up, to walk
around with her cameraman to interview grown-ups, including Staff Sgt. Desmont Upchurch of Woodland Station. “Watching Ethan interview Desmont about his military career was a special moment for me,” Villalobos said. The young participants, who ranged in age from toddlers to teens, visited booths and spoke with firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, teachers, chefs, television personalities, beauty queens and Soldiers about their careers.