SALT LAKE CITY — Soroptimist International Salt Lake
honored Debra Sue Whipple on Saturday, March 13, for her volunteer work in neonatal nursing
throughout the world.
Whipple was the recipient of the club's Ruby award, given by
the Salt Lake County Club of Soroptimist International, for her dedicated
service that is reflective of the organization's goals.
"We're so thrilled she matches our organization's goals
and values," Salt Lake club president Nancy Mitchell said. "She was
nominated by a neighbor and we're thrilled to recognize her."
Whipple is a registered nurse and works at LDS Hospital in the neonatal care department and is currently a nurse manager. She
does volunteer work internationally for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
as a neonatal resuscitation trainer.
Whipple's work in resuscitation training has taken her to
places such as Thailand, Kenya, Egypt, Bolivia, Micronesia and Fiji, among
others.
Her dream has long been to do humanitarian work somewhere in
developing countries. The first opportunity came in 2002 when the LDS Church
was looking for volunteers to travel to Ghana. Volunteers taught life-saving
skills to doctors, nurses and midwives to help in decreasing infant deaths.
The opportunity was right up her alley, and she has given
much of her time continuing the program as a part of LDS Charities. The program
aims to educate as many healthcare professionals as it can reach in
developing countries. After each person has received training, they are then
encouraged to pass it on to other hospitals and staff in other areas.
These procedures are very simple, but many professionals
without the training or equipment are often left helpless when newborns
struggle for that first breath. The charity works to donate equipment to
hospitals they are visiting in addition to the valuable training.
Thanks to Whipple and the rest of the team of volunteers,
there was recently a five-month stretch in Bangkok without a reported death of a
newborn due to asphyxiation.
The training in Thailand has reached more than 12,000 healthcare
professionals.
Whipple credited Dr. Sarayut Supapannachart for his help in expanding the neonatal resuscitation training in Thailand.
"We come from different backgrounds and different
cultures, and have a different dream," Whipple said. "But we are all on
common ground when it comes to life."
This zest for life and helping others is what drives Whipple to donate her time and travel through LDS Charities.
During a recent training trip to Egypt, Whipple was
fortunate enough to see, firsthand, immediate rewards for her and other
volunteers' efforts.
While she and her husband were visiting with a hospital
administrator at an El Khanka, Egypt, area hospital, two doctors who had
recently received the training rushed in with beaming faces and excitedly told
of the success of the procedures.
Whipple visited the newborn as well and was grateful to see
her work for LDS Charities save a life.
She also expressed gratitude to Soroptimist International
for its dedication to improving the lives of women and girls all around the
world.
The world's largest classified service organization for
executive and professional women recognizes a woman in each local club annually
for her efforts to improve the lives of women and girls through her
professional or volunteer work.
E-mail: jcrandall@desnews.com