Petoskey Cardiac Nurse Returns To Home Country For Helping Hands For Rwanda
September 18, 2018
“I grew up in Mbuye, a small town which is south in Rwanda,” said Vianney Ruhumuliza.
In 1982, Vianney Ruhumuliza traded his view every day while on a mission to help people as a cardiac nurse in the United States.
“I did not speak English,” he said.
Learning a new language and how do a job he adores, he’s now spent nearly 4 decades at McLaren Northern Michigan hospital taking blood pressure, performing EKGs, and a special skill school can’t teach, making patients feel at home while they’re in the hospital.
“Knowing you’re going to help somebody else, I think it gives you the sense to get up and go to work, knowing you’re going to make a difference,” he said.
Thinking up a new challenge, taking his talents and passions back home.
“Side by side, you talk your dreams and some people embrace your dreams and you get excited and you have a meeting,” Ruhumuliza explained.
And Dr. Dalton Miranda, a cardiologist at McLaren, was hooked.
“And I was very intrigued by that,” said Dr. Miranda.
Vianney was able to face this view again with a new purpose, called Helping Hands For Rwanda.
“Dr. Miranda and I went to Rwanda and evaluated how we can be a help,” he said. “Then 2018, March, we started the mission doing cardiology.”
They’re going back to Rwanda again in three weeks, after being blown away by what they found the first time.
“So this last mission we had 123 patients,” he said. “Seventy percent had hypertension.”
On their week-long trip ,Vianney and Dr. Miranda offered free services like taking blood pressure, performing EKGs and echos, all routine in the US, but far from normal in Rwanda.
“I was astonished,” said Dr. Miranda. “It’s like going back to what we had here in the 1970’s.”
Both saying the people of Rwanda don’t even know what they don’t know about their cardiac care.
“Some we prescribed medications, we have been following up with these patients and when we go back in October, we are going to see some different cases,” he said.
One of the biggest changes Vianney and Dr. Miranda hope Rwandans have made since they were there is their diets.
“I was asking how much sugar they have in the house and they buy about 25 kilos, so over 50 pounds of sugar in a month,” said Dr. Miranda.
While they continue their cardiology work the US, they are looking forward to going back to continue what they started in Helping Hands For Rwanda.
“We all have something we can give,” explained Dr. Miranda. “Some people time, some people skills, some people money, and I think we shouldn’t pass out on opportunities to do so.”
And for Vianney, it’s lending a helping hand back home.
“Because it’s so overwhelming in your heart, what you just experienced is it true, me, did I just do this, did I really make a difference, so it’s why we keep going,” said Ruhumiliza. “It brings you back to love one another, it’s where you see genuine love.”