Published June 11, 2024
By Joy Krosschell, event intern with Children’s HeartLink
As a recent college graduate, the experience of interning as the Children’s HeartLink Global Gathering event assistant in 2022 was inspiring to say the least. This temporary position started at the end of August that year, and even in just a few months of working at Children’s HeartLink, I was able to witness tremendous growth within the organization.
With Olympian and heart warrior Shaun White as a special guest at the Global Gathering, the fourth partner hospital in Brazil being announced and a brand new medical volunteer team from Texas Children’s Hospital to celebrate in my short time of working for this organization, it was evident that Children’s HeartLink is full of ambitious and motivated employees and supporters. With my role specifically, it was inspiring to see a team so passionate about making the annual fundraising event a successful and celebratory event for our guests.
The most inspiring aspect of working at Children’s HeartLink was the depth and breadth of the community they’ve built over the years. Not only had the organization fostered a global community of people who care about saving lives, but they’d created deep connections locally as well. On top of learning about their international and national partnerships, I was given the chance to learn an incredible amount about the local shops and organizations in Minnesota that have supported them recently and throughout the years.
Their community is made up of individuals who genuinely care. On the night of the Global Gathering, I met guests and volunteers who had been involved with Children’s HeartLink for many years. It was moving to hear everyone’s stories about being involved in the mission of transforming pediatric heart care worldwide or how they resonated with its mission. Hearing the guests connecting over their shared stories made the purpose of this organization even more real – the people involved aren’t only changing the lives of children with congenital heart disease; they are changing the lives of the parents, guardians, family members and communities connected to those children.
I am beyond proud to have worked with this organization and to have met and worked with the community of passionate people involved with Children’s HeartLink. I’ll miss their cozy office space, their welcoming atmosphere and the fun and caring team that worked on the Global Gathering. Everyone involved with this nonprofit has already done so much, and I’m excited to see how this organization expands even more in the future. Going forward, I’ll continue to vouch for Children’s HeartLink – it’s an organization I’m pleased to be part of.
As we reflect on Joy Krosschell’s words from 2022, we’re reminded of the power of collective action and the deep connections that are nurtured over the years. The 2024 Children’s HeartLink Global Gathering promises to be a celebration of our growth, resilience and the ever-expanding community dedicated to our cause. We invite you to join us in this celebration, to share in life-transforming impact we can have when we work together.