12/18/2025
LAUGHH Foundation - GIVING FROM THE HEART
Dear Friends of LAUGHH,
My name is William Cuevas Villamizar, and I am a LAUGHH Volunteer from Colombia. Here is my story:
Hello, my name is William, and I am one of the leaders of the Colombian medical students. I joined LAUGHH when I was in my second year of medical school, simply looking for an adventure. But LAUGHH did something I never expected: it made me fall in love with serving others. It completely transformed the way I care for my patients today.
LAUGHH taught me that giving someone medication is meaningless if we don’t also teach them how to take care of themselves. That is why, in every consultation, I speak to my patients about nutrition, exercise, sexual education, and I also make sure they understand their illness. Of course, it means I run late and take longer with each patient, but every day, I watch people leave with smiles, with hope, and with knowledge that empowers them. And to me, that is priceless.
I truly believe we come into this world to help others, and every time I participate in a LAUGHH mission, that belief becomes stronger. I have been working with LAUGHH since 2019, and in every mission we hear the same words: “No one has ever shown us so much love.” Many people in these communities rarely visit a doctor because it requires long and difficult travel. And when they finally manage to go, consultations last only 20 minutes, and patients leave without understanding their own illnesses.
I will never forget a patient who had spent more than 30 years without seeing a doctor because the nearest one had left town. Thanks to LAUGHH, he was finally able to receive follow-up care for his diabetes.
It is truly incredible to see people from outside our country travel so many miles just to help our communities, something that even our own government sometimes fails to do. Their example reminds us of something simple but powerful: we come into this world to help others.
I speak on behalf of all the students when I say that LAUGHH inspires us. If foreigners are willing to help our people, how could we as Colombians not be willing to do the same? That is why I am, and will continue to be, a LAUGHH volunteer for as long as life allows me.
My country has many people in need who do not have access to a doctor and who walk for hours through the mountains when they hear that a LAUGHH mission is near. During a mission in 2019, I remember a 78-year-old woman who had walked three hours to reach the foundation. Her shoes were torn and worn—she was practically barefoot. Without thinking twice, I gave her the Crocs I was wearing.
In every mission, we meet patients with wounds that have not healed for years, people who have built their own walking sticks from bamboo, improvised wheelchairs, or those who have been limping for decades because they cannot afford a walker. And the moment we arrive, we change lives—not only the lives of the patients, but also the lives of every member of our mission.
GIVING FROM THE HEART helps us to remember that
"HOPE AND CONNECTION CAN TRANSCEND DISTANCE, LAUNGUAGE, AND CIRCUMSTANCE."
Have awonderful holiday seadon and a fabulous 2026 – blessings to you from all of us.
Please consider joining us for the 2026 Healthy Living trip June 18 - 27, 2026. Come and discover new ways to give from YOUR heart!
