LIHU‘E — Waimea High School graduate Casera Silva was awestruck Wednesday when she was invited by the Wilcox Medical Center to tour the Radiology and Imaging departments.
LIHU‘E — Waimea High School graduate Casera Silva was awestruck Wednesday when she was invited by the Wilcox Medical Center to tour the Radiology and Imaging departments.
“This is not something everyone gets to do,” said Faith Campbell of the Wilcox Communications Department. “When she came in with money for the Wilcox health-care workers, Andy Bestwick of the Wilcox Foundation found out Casera wanted to become a radiologist, and coordinated the tour for the high-school graduate.”
Silva partnered with a classmate, Kiyana Kanoho, to host the fundraising rodeo where proceeds would be presented to the Wilcox Foundation as a gesture of appreciation for the efforts of health-care workers, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was executed as Silva’s Senior Project at Waimea High School.
“With COVID-19 being a big thing here in Hawai‘i, it has taken a huge toll on our health-care workers, as we have very limited resources compared to other states,” the pair told Cowgirl magazine in an article published on Aug. 8. “We decided to donate the money — $4,000 raised in fundraising — to a hospital here on Kaua‘i to help support and provide some COVID relief to frontline health-care workers.”
Silva’s tour involved “shadowing” radiology professionals through their daily routines as a way of getting her more familiar with the duties and responsibilities of becoming a radiologist. One of the first things she was told was “Textbooks are one thing, but actual is where you learn.”
“Hurry and get your degree,” the Radiology Department said in greeting the young lady. “We have a job for you.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
