Today we’d like to introduce you to Akiko Ando.
Akiko, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Akiko Ando, and I am an anesthesiologist specializing in pediatric anesthesia. I was born and raised in Japan, where my later passion for becoming a global health ambassador grew. I spent the majority of my childhood in a hospital, surrounded by doctors and nurses. While my time spent in the hospital wasn’t necessarily an ideal way to spend my childhood, I also understood how much of a blessing it was to receive the care that I did.
As I grew older and learned more about the world, the more and more I understood the severity of medically underserved communities, and how so many people cannot get necessary surgeries due to the lack of safe anesthesia. As I continued to explore this issue of health equity, I realized my purpose, which is simply to return the blessings that I have received.
While the medical mission trips that I have had the opportunity to join were only one of many ways to contribute to narrowing the gap in healthcare systems, it has been truly a rewarding experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While I believe that no road or journey comes without challenges, I can confidently say that it wasn’t an easy or smooth path. Coming from Japan where I spent my life and gained all of my education, adjusting to life in America meant overcoming a language barrier. I soon then became a single mother, and as if life was testing my endurance, I was diagnosed with cancer. My life felt like a relay, running around between work, treatment, and raising two kids, and I told myself that I had to put my dream aside for the time being.
One day, I saw a picture of my colleague in Kenya with his family on a mission trip. As if I was subconsciously looking for a reminder of what my passion was, this singular picture was enough for me to tell myself to stop making excuses. I soon then found a medical mission organization that allowed me to bring my children, and in 2010, my two children and I went to Ghana and opened up my journey as a global health ambassador.
Since then, I have made sure that I will never make excuses for postponing my purpose. When COVID-19 started and the world shut down, I continued to teach the medical staff abroad via Zoom about anesthesia. I am determined to continue my role and purpose as long as possible no matter what.
I am an anesthesiologist specializing in pediatric anesthesia. Outside of mission trips, I work in an outpatient surgery center for all ages. While the demographics and context greatly differ, I can’t help but feel proud when I hear the thank yous and see the smiles on patient’s faces at the end of the day.
What are your plans for the future?
I have a few trips planned already, including Belize, Cambodia, and Mexico. However, I recently traveled to Myanmar with a Japanese medical mission organization, and I am determined to go back. People there have been suffering immensely due to COVID-19 and an ongoing civil war sparked by a military coup d’état that happened in 2021. It is an understatement to say that they are not receiving the treatment they need, especially the children.
Going there and providing anesthesia myself is one way to help, but to have a long-lasting effect is to teach the people there to be able to provide it themselves. I briefly taught via Zoom during COVID-19, and I would love to grow that into something consistent and accessible. I also greatly appreciate this opportunity so that I can spread awareness and hopefully encourage people to join me as a global health ambassador.
