Belmont physical therapy students and faculty attended a dinner at Lipscomb University on Sept. 16 with the president of Malawi, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera. The event celebrated partnerships among Sara Walker Foundation, Blessings Hospital and Chikondi Health Foundation.
The dinner highlighted the impact the Sara Walker Foundation—created in memory of Belmont physical therapy alumna Sara Pigg Walker (’03)—has had on the people of Malawi. Since 2013, Sara Walker Foundation has provided travel expenses for nursing, pharmacy and engineering student missions to Blessings Hospital in Malawi. Students serve alongside healthcare professionals with Chikondi Health Foundation during mission trips.
Since 2015, the Sara Walker Foundation has funded two mobile medical units. The all-terrain vehicles, staffed by Blessings Hospital—travel to remote villages weekly to provide much-needed healthcare to the community. In Malawi, there is one surgeon for every one million people. Because of Sara Walker Foundation’s mobile units, more than 100,000 people have received medical care, and one of every three patients is less than ten years old.
To help Sara Walker Foundation continue to meet medical needs in Malawi, join us on Sunday, Oct. 2 for the annual 5K and Kids Fun Run at Lipscomb University. The Kids Fun Run is organized by Belmont Physical Therapy students. Register here.
For those unable to attend the run/walk, please consider making a donation to the foundation.
Pictured above from left to right:
• Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Sara Walker Foundation board member, Christi Williams
• Belmont DPT student Alyssa Milligan
• Belmont DPT student Chloe Gastright
• Belmont DPT student Emily Bygott
• Belmont DPT student Lauren Jolly
• Belmont DPT student Symphony Trimble
• Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professor of Physical Therapy, Renee Brown
Information for this story was provided by Christi Williams (’05) and Sara’s sister, Dinah Hall (’06).
