Drive to Help Others Leads RT to Honduras

Even those closest to Tim Larson find it tough to pin down the source of his immense drive to help others.

The 56-year-old respiratory therapist from Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio, has been working with Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO) since 1994. Since then, he has made roughly 15 trips down to Santa Rosa de Copan public health hospital in Honduras to offer respiratory education and continue fostering the ventilator program he initiated in 1996.

And that doesn't even consider the work he's done at home, where he donates one day a week to sorting through equipment to send down to Honduras. He also serves as an asthma educator and a volunteer at Fresh Air Camp, a camp for ventilator-dependent children in Strongsville, Ohio.

"I don't know if it was his upbringing or not, and I know he's very involved in his church," said Doug Lauby, director of respiratory care at Aultman, who has known Larson for nearly 30 years. "Maybe he has a calling, I don't know. I've just always known him to be this way."

A look at Larson's family suggests the answer may be in his DNA. His two eldest sons, Daniel and Benjamin, are both in nursing school, and his youngest, Kirk, is also considering pursuing a job in the medical field. All three work at a rehab facility for people with mental and physical challenges. When asked about the medical volunteer trend in his family, Larson downplays his work and praises that of his sons.

 "I'm very proud of them for their willingness to stay with it," he said. "There's a very high turnover rate at the facility; a lot of young kids just can't cut it because it's hard to work with the mentally and physically disabled."

Born in Cottonwood, Ariz., Larson moved to Wooster, Ohio, at the age of 10. He was introduced to respiratory therapy while working as an orderly at Wooster Hospital, and he decided to enter the field because he was intrigued by the equipment. He's spent all but four months of his career at Aultman since getting his degree from the University of Akron in 1979, and he currently resides in Canal Fulton with his sons and Cynthia, his wife of 31 years.

Larson made the international leap with CAMO just a year after the organization got started in 1993. Although CAMO now provides care for more than 143,000 medical needs with an average of nearly $2 million in donated medical supplies, equipment, and expertise every year, the program was significantly smaller when Larson made his first trip in 1995.

"The first year was a very moving year for me," Larson said. "It really opened my eyes up, and I realized how lucky we are up here to have what we have. It was somewhat frustrating because I didn't expect that they wouldn't have the resources that we have. The quality of care is far better in the United States than it is down there. It's been rewarding to see the change and what we've been able to do."

Larson's main role at Santa Rosa de Copan during his one-to-two week stays is to provide education and troubleshoot equipment because there is no established respiratory profession in the country. His work is not limited to ventilators, but it covers the gamut from pulse oximeters to suction equipment.

During his most recent trip in February, Larson's work went beyond respiratory issues as he helped a neonatologist in her attempts to improve the poor nutrition that has led to major problems with infection and sepsis. Larson is hoping to return to Honduras in September, and, according to Lauby, Aultman couldn't be more supportive.

"It's such a worthwhile cause that we always figure out the scheduling and all of that," he said. "I admire Tim for the work he does. Instead of going on vacation every year, this is what he does. And he doesn't do it for the recognition. He's very unassuming in that way and just goes about his business helping others."

For more information on how to volunteer with or donate supplies and equipment to CAMO, visit their website at www.camo.org.