Stories Of Service – The Story of Jamie Lynne Lois Bagulo
A woman walked into the clinic carrying one child in her arms and guiding the other beside her. Then-15-year-old Jamie Lynne Lois Balugo explained to her how often she should take her new prescription. Grasping the medication she had traveled miles to get, the woman locked eyes with Balugo and, with unmatched gratitude, replied with a simple, “Thank you, doctor.”
Balugo, now a senior biomedical science major at Liberty and Resident Shepherd, cited this experience as the moment she chose to pursue medicine. Bagulo’s mother provides free clinical services to people all over the Philippines, making medical missions a core aspect of her youth.
Balugo began helping in the clinic as a child by washing the dental instruments. By age 13, she was helping in the pharmacy, which allowed her to be fully immersed in a medical environment and sparked the passion she now has for medicine.
“Being in the ministry made me feel like I could see the fruit of what [God] has sown, and I just feel like myself when I am serving people,” Balugo said.
Being in the ministry made me feel like I could see the fruit of what (God) has sown, and I just feel like myself when I am serving people.
Jamie Lynne Lois Balugo
Although Liberty was not originally on Balugo’s radar when she graduated high school, she agreed to tour campus reluctantly following a family friend’s suggestion.
Surprisingly, the moment Balugo stepped out of her car onto Liberty’s campus, she noticed the atmosphere was different from what she had expected. Even the same Bible verse her pastor preached on the weekend before she visited was on the wall of the Hancock Welcome Center, and everything clicked into place for her.
While becoming a doctor is her life passion, Balugo recognizes the tremendous difficulty of her major and recalls many occasions when she felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the goal she is working towards. In moments when it feels impossible, Balugo holds onto the peace she receives from God when remembering the woman in the Philippines who first called her “doctor.”
“Whenever the fire runs out, I always think about that woman,” Balugo said. “There was something special about that interaction, and Jesus always brings me back to that ‘Thank you, doctor.’”
Nadia Vires is a Feature writer for the Champion. Follow her on Twitter @nadiavires