Saturday, February 8, 2025

The League of Extraordinary Women

As women shattered glass ceilings and enacted inspiring changes, the YWCA has stood by to honor and empower them. This year is no different — the organization’s 18th annual Milestone Awards are proof of that. Winners have excelled in their respective categories, celebrating majoraccomplishments in the arts, business, education, government, sciences, social services and volunteerism. The Toledo City Paper wanted to celebrate something equally inspiring — their amassed wisdom.

 

 

 

Wanda Butts, founder of The Josh Project

Wanda Jean Butts’ has found purpose in tragedy, working to ensure her son’s life was not lost in vain. John-Joshua Butts, known to friends and family as Josh, died tragically in a drowning accident in 2006; since then, his mother Wanda has started the Josh Project in his honor, which offers low-cost swimming lessons to area kids, and has become a nationally-recognized advocate for water safety. She was named a CNN Hero in 2012.

This year has been really busy for us. I’m excited, especially with the Milestone award and recognition. I’m very happy with it.

Josh’s drowning was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Every time I’m interviewing it takes me to that space, and that’s not a good space for me, and I don’t know when it will be. I didn’t think that I would ever get past it, like I am now, that I would talk about it and be able to stop crying. I never dreamed that from such a tragedy, from losing him, that I would get an award from CNN, that’s international. It was nothing I would’ve imagined — it was just amazing to me.

You don’t want other families to have to suffer, and you want them to know what you didn’t know. I have learned that swimming is a basic life skill that all children should learn. All parents should introduce their children to water and water safety at a young age.

Even though I appreciate all the good that came from his death, all the accolades, I’d trade it all just to have my son back. I just look forward to seeing him everyday in heaven, where I believe he is.

Knowing that I’m doing something about Josh’s death, that Josh did not die in vain, that because of his death lots of children are learning how to swim and lots of children will live — that helps me heal.

You get what you give.

 

Linda Ewing, retired senior vice president, Fifth Third Bank

Linda Ewing covered the groundbreaking for One Seagate as a budding reporter; years later, she ascended to its 21st floor as senior vice president of Fifth Third Bank.

My interest was in broadcasting and news. My first position was with WTOL, and the way I got in the door was by being an operations assistant, scheduling commercials and public service announcements. But I really wanted to be a news reporter. I had an awesome opportunity to cover the groundbreaking for One Seagate. While I was here, walking around, I met a recruiter for Owens Illinois. And he and I got to talking and he said, ‘Have you ever thought about making a career change?’

Three weeks later I took a job with Owens Illinois and started working in this building.

Glass ceilings truly existed if you want to talk about the ‘60s, the ‘70s, the ‘80s. You found out there were some things that girls weren’t allowed to do. There were some things that were of racial concern. There weren’t many anchor women, so you had to figure out, where was your place in television? Where was your place in volunteering? I was always in the trenches, I was always the do-er.

I would hope that my legacy would be one of professional developer, a mentor, an equal opportunist, a person who did not see color but who wanted to do the right thing. It’s been an awesome journey. I’ve enjoyed and loved all of my career paths and the people that I’ve met.

I always wanted to make it easier for the next person.

Recognize the importance of being independent. If you’re not emotionally strong, it can bring you down very quickly. I’ve looked out and seen the landscape change here, and the economic lives of many people have changed, because of divorce and health and the economy. And a lot of people just can’t handle it because they don’t see themselves losing their jobs. But anything can happen to you.

I am not ashamed to say I cried when I was promoted to senior vice president. What an opportunity, because of the history that I knew had existed in banking. I know what it took for people of color to become vice presidents at other institutions.

I’ve been a risk taker by asking the tough questions. If you interviewed people who’ve been exposed to me they’ll say ‘Linda makes you think about the big picture.’

Women are a major center of influence. We are very talented — we are running corporations, businesses, we are mothers, wives, sisters. We make it happen everyday, when we don’t feel good and when we do feel good, because that’s a part of what women do. We get it done.

 

Pat Appold, president, Oliver House/Maumee Bay Brewing Company; president, Library Legacy Foundation, former trustee, Lourdes University

Appold’s deep appreciation for history inspired her to save what is now The Oliver House from demolition in the early 1990s. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has become the thriving center for four restaurants, a brewing company and a beer and wine shop. Volunteerism is also a significant part of her life — she contributes to numerous boards, including the Library Legacy Foundation and Lourdes University.

I’ve always felt that history, the whole spectrum, starts local. It’s how somebody feels when they get up in the morning. It’s the little decisions that make the big decisions.

We lived in the Old West End, so Jim, my husband, and I would drive around sometimes, and we’d drive by this building. Here it was, pretty derelict, and it just fascinated me. And then in 1989 or 1990, the owner of the building approached our friend Ted Ligibel, who was kind of the guru of historic preservation in Toledo, about demolition. He didn’t know what to do. Ted felt this was the premiere building in Toledo, so he called a meeting and said ‘What are we going to do?’

My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I said ‘The Oliver House.’ I hadn’t planned it — it just seemed the thing to say. And he said ‘Well, if you feel that strongly, let’s take a look at it.’

I made this ridiculously low offer, and the guy said ‘Sure.’ So then we had the building — 70,000 square feet and we had no plans. My husband mentioned the idea of a brew pub, and we ran with it.

I started volunteering as a teenager. My mother had me working at the church, and so it’s always been a part of me. I like being part of a collective effort. I think a lot gets done with people pooling their resources, their intellect. Time, treasure and talent is what they call it.

Well, now I have more treasure. I’ve gone from time and talent to treasure — as we’ve lived our means have changed. I feel that we’re stewards of that as well. We’ve gotten it to give it.

My children always went to the libraries. I admired Andrew Carnegie and what he saw in libraries. Any community should have one — it’s just one of the most important assets, small or large.

 

Dr. Janet Robinson,  interim president, Lourdes University

Dr. Robinson, a Detroit native, started her careers as a nurse and went on to become an educator in the medical field; her compassion for her students has made her well-known among nursing students on Lourdes’ campus.

When I found out I won the Milestone, I was just ecstatic. I had a really busy day. It was like 6:30. I listened to the voicemail and we just started screaming and dancing.

The guy across the hall heard all this and never came out across the hall to figure out what it was.

I think you have to be yourself. I think you never do it for the fame, you do it because you want to make a difference in the world, one person at a time.

I come from a family of educators. My mother’s an educator, my sister, my grandmother, one of my children is. I think when you’re an educator you have a chance to transform people’s lives. And all of a sudden you’ve transformed one corner of the world.

I think women tend to naturally nurture people, and part of teaching is nurturing. I do think that for women leaders that become CEOs or college presidents, it’s different. Currently 75 percent of college and university presidents are male, and 25 percent are women, so it’s unusual. I think women make absolutely wonderful leaders. I’ve worked with great women, and I’ve worked with great men.

I think we need to tell young women, dream big. For years people have sort of said, think about being middle manager, instead of saying think about being president of the United States.

I had a vision and a dream, but I think I have the practical skills to make it happen.

I’m not confrontational but I hold people to the line.

In the graduate school class I taught, I said ‘I want to be really honest with you. I like you, you’re going to like me, we’re going to have fun. Do not mistake kindness for low standards. Because I think that you will find that I have higher standards than anybody else in the university.’

I do think if I can do anything well, it’s care about people.

 

Carolyn Putney, chief curator/curator of Asian art, the Toledo Museum of Art

Putney, a West Palm Beach, Florida native, arrived at the TMA in 1978 hoping to gain a few years of experience after graduate school and ended up making the city, and its museum, her permanent home. Her next project is a fall 2013 exhibition of Japanese prints originally curated by Dorothy Blair in the 1930s at the TMA, bringing the female curatorial presence full circle.

I just think that art so enriches our lives. I want people to get excited about it, particularly Asian art, which is sometimes difficult for people to access because people don’t have the background in it. I think I’ve opened that area up for people and maybe given them an appreciation they didn’t have before.

Toledo has an amazing group of women. I felt like I didn’t really deserve to be with that group of people. I was just thrilled to be nominated.

Art history, and particularly curatorial, was generally a man’s domain. And I think it’s ironic that we actually have equal numbers of women curators as we do men in the TMA. I still think women are becoming more and more engaged in the field.

The first piece I acquired was a Buddha. I was tremendously thrilled, if not frustrated, because I had never really negotiated a work of art before, so that was a challenge. But I thought that the work of art was so incredibly beautiful.

Some people are very, very earnest, other people you have the feeling are more wheeler dealer types, some are very scholarly. There can be very high stakes — it depends on you and knowing the collection.

I always go into it knowing that they’re asking too much. You never say okay to the first price you hear.

With our collections, we’re all trying to tell a story. You try and find things that are approachable, that people will have a connection to or be curious as to ‘Okay, what’s this about?’

It’s never old hat. It’s always exciting for me to acquire something. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have such a great job.

 

Teresa Fedor, State Representative, 45th District

As the oldest of seven children growing up in Point Place, Teresa Fedor never dreamed of a career in politics. But after time spent serving her country in both the military and in public education, she embarked on a career in government and has since become a tireless advocate for women in the fight against human trafficking. In June, her House Bill 262 was passed, enacting harsher penalties for human trafficking crimes.

Graduating from the University of Toledo with a degree, besides being a mom and a grandparent, is the most important milestone that is the foundation of where I am today.

My parents were very open about there being unlimited opportunities. We never talked about limits, or about gender limits. When I talk to women’s groups, I always say the most liberal person I knew about feminism was my father. In retrospect, that was such a gift.

The Vietnam War was a very big, illuminating issue for me in high school. I felt compelled to be a part of that, compelled to join the military. It was patriotism — my father was in the military, my uncle was in the Marines.

The military helped me see that I could do more than I thought I could. They saw more in me than I saw in myself.

I was on food stamps as a college student. I needed a hand up — it wasn’t a hand out. I come from that perspective. I needed that. Those were the bootstraps. That was there for me, and I paid taxes, and I needed it, and now I’m giving back.

My first thought coming into public life as an elected official was really reading and physical and health education. Equality for women. Economic opportunities. Then in 2005 the FBI did a sting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we found 177 victims. Over half of them were from Toledo. Many of them were under 18 and one of them was 10 years old. I took that personally — those were my babies that I’ve been fighting for. I was really outraged. And I wanted to know what could be done.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It’s just taken a long time for people to wrap those terminologies around their heads. Prostitution is not a victimless crime — it’s either done out of need or force. I can’t see focusing on education and these other issues if you’ve got a cancer in your culture and you’re not trying to cure it. If politicians can’t fix this, then they shouldn’t even be involved. It’s the human rights issue of our lifetime.

I saw a coffee cup at the art museum that really just hit me. I bought the cup — it’s a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: ‘Do one thing every day that scares you.’ And I said a ha, that’s me.

The cause that drives me is greater than the fear of failure.

 

Dr. Anne Ruch, OB/GYN, director SewHope, founder, Kids Against Hunger-Toledo

Dr. Anne Ruch photographed at the SewHope meeting base: the dining room of her Ottawa Hills home. The physician’s deep faith led her on a mission trip to Guatemala; her medical abilities drew her back countless times for outreach efforts among the country’s poorest, most afflicted communities in the Peten region.

I was born in Ireland and grew up in Queens. My parents never went past the 6th grade, but my dad was probably the smartest person I ever knew in my life. He was a huge believer in education. It was expected that you could do everything.

My mother always told me, make sure you’re independent.

It’s a dream job. You get to know your patients — it kind of spans the whole lifetime of a woman. Your patients become your best friends. And I think also, honestly, for me it’s almost like being in therapy, because you learn so much from people.

I was in church and the pastor announced one day that the church was going to Guatemala for outreach. It was 1998. I thought, as a doctor, I should go. The level of poverty was shocking. We were in Guatemala City, and we were going to a garbage dump, called la basura. We’re talking about the big things in life, and God, and getting to know each other, and all of a sudden we’re driving along and it started to stink. And you look out the window, and people are just lying on the floor looking half dead. And then you’re driving closer, and by the time you get to this place you just feel like you’re going to throw up. There were thousands of people living there. However you would picture hell, that’s what it looked like. I thought if there’s any God of any kind in this world, he did not create human beings to live like this.

They set us up to have a clinic at the recycling center next to this dump. There were just lines and lines of people. They will do anything to see you. So here I am, in a place I’ve never been before, I have absolutely no idea of their culture, no idea of their world view, I barely speak ten words of the language. I realized quickly that just making the trip on your own wouldn’t work.

At the time we decided to help we were working with a couple of missionary people in Guatemala that had their own little organization, and I think our idea was that initially we would support them. I wasn’t thinking at all what it would become. We picked on this region in Guatemala called Peten. Peten is about a third of Guatemala, and it was all jungle. It’s become one of those areas that’s completely deforested. It’s probably one of the most dangerous places in the world. And I’m so stubborn I said ‘We’ll go there.’

To give you an honest answer, I don’t think anybody does anything they don’t like to do. I think the truth is that I love this. I think that there is nothing better than being down there. [Guatemala is] probably one of the few things in my life I can say I have 100 percent trust that God is leading the way.

 


Mary Wyar, a high-top wearing, Wes Anderson-loving local photographer, shot the powerful women on these pages. When she’s not photographing the city’s inspirational females, she’s creating modern wedding imagery for area couples.
marywyarphotography.com.

As women shattered glass ceilings and enacted inspiring changes, the YWCA has stood by to honor and empower them. This year is no different — the organization’s 18th annual Milestone Awards are proof of that. Winners have excelled in their respective categories, celebrating majoraccomplishments in the arts, business, education, government, sciences, social services and volunteerism. The Toledo City Paper wanted to celebrate something equally inspiring — their amassed wisdom.

 

 

 

Wanda Butts, founder of The Josh Project

Wanda Jean Butts’ has found purpose in tragedy, working to ensure her son’s life was not lost in vain. John-Joshua Butts, known to friends and family as Josh, died tragically in a drowning accident in 2006; since then, his mother Wanda has started the Josh Project in his honor, which offers low-cost swimming lessons to area kids, and has become a nationally-recognized advocate for water safety. She was named a CNN Hero in 2012.

This year has been really busy for us. I’m excited, especially with the Milestone award and recognition. I’m very happy with it.

Josh’s drowning was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Every time I’m interviewing it takes me to that space, and that’s not a good space for me, and I don’t know when it will be. I didn’t think that I would ever get past it, like I am now, that I would talk about it and be able to stop crying. I never dreamed that from such a tragedy, from losing him, that I would get an award from CNN, that’s international. It was nothing I would’ve imagined — it was just amazing to me.

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You don’t want other families to have to suffer, and you want them to know what you didn’t know. I have learned that swimming is a basic life skill that all children should learn. All parents should introduce their children to water and water safety at a young age.

Even though I appreciate all the good that came from his death, all the accolades, I’d trade it all just to have my son back. I just look forward to seeing him everyday in heaven, where I believe he is.

Knowing that I’m doing something about Josh’s death, that Josh did not die in vain, that because of his death lots of children are learning how to swim and lots of children will live — that helps me heal.

You get what you give.

 

Linda Ewing, retired senior vice president, Fifth Third Bank

Linda Ewing covered the groundbreaking for One Seagate as a budding reporter; years later, she ascended to its 21st floor as senior vice president of Fifth Third Bank.

My interest was in broadcasting and news. My first position was with WTOL, and the way I got in the door was by being an operations assistant, scheduling commercials and public service announcements. But I really wanted to be a news reporter. I had an awesome opportunity to cover the groundbreaking for One Seagate. While I was here, walking around, I met a recruiter for Owens Illinois. And he and I got to talking and he said, ‘Have you ever thought about making a career change?’

Three weeks later I took a job with Owens Illinois and started working in this building.

Glass ceilings truly existed if you want to talk about the ‘60s, the ‘70s, the ‘80s. You found out there were some things that girls weren’t allowed to do. There were some things that were of racial concern. There weren’t many anchor women, so you had to figure out, where was your place in television? Where was your place in volunteering? I was always in the trenches, I was always the do-er.

I would hope that my legacy would be one of professional developer, a mentor, an equal opportunist, a person who did not see color but who wanted to do the right thing. It’s been an awesome journey. I’ve enjoyed and loved all of my career paths and the people that I’ve met.

I always wanted to make it easier for the next person.

Recognize the importance of being independent. If you’re not emotionally strong, it can bring you down very quickly. I’ve looked out and seen the landscape change here, and the economic lives of many people have changed, because of divorce and health and the economy. And a lot of people just can’t handle it because they don’t see themselves losing their jobs. But anything can happen to you.

I am not ashamed to say I cried when I was promoted to senior vice president. What an opportunity, because of the history that I knew had existed in banking. I know what it took for people of color to become vice presidents at other institutions.

I’ve been a risk taker by asking the tough questions. If you interviewed people who’ve been exposed to me they’ll say ‘Linda makes you think about the big picture.’

Women are a major center of influence. We are very talented — we are running corporations, businesses, we are mothers, wives, sisters. We make it happen everyday, when we don’t feel good and when we do feel good, because that’s a part of what women do. We get it done.

 

Pat Appold, president, Oliver House/Maumee Bay Brewing Company; president, Library Legacy Foundation, former trustee, Lourdes University

Appold’s deep appreciation for history inspired her to save what is now The Oliver House from demolition in the early 1990s. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has become the thriving center for four restaurants, a brewing company and a beer and wine shop. Volunteerism is also a significant part of her life — she contributes to numerous boards, including the Library Legacy Foundation and Lourdes University.

I’ve always felt that history, the whole spectrum, starts local. It’s how somebody feels when they get up in the morning. It’s the little decisions that make the big decisions.

We lived in the Old West End, so Jim, my husband, and I would drive around sometimes, and we’d drive by this building. Here it was, pretty derelict, and it just fascinated me. And then in 1989 or 1990, the owner of the building approached our friend Ted Ligibel, who was kind of the guru of historic preservation in Toledo, about demolition. He didn’t know what to do. Ted felt this was the premiere building in Toledo, so he called a meeting and said ‘What are we going to do?’

My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I said ‘The Oliver House.’ I hadn’t planned it — it just seemed the thing to say. And he said ‘Well, if you feel that strongly, let’s take a look at it.’

I made this ridiculously low offer, and the guy said ‘Sure.’ So then we had the building — 70,000 square feet and we had no plans. My husband mentioned the idea of a brew pub, and we ran with it.

I started volunteering as a teenager. My mother had me working at the church, and so it’s always been a part of me. I like being part of a collective effort. I think a lot gets done with people pooling their resources, their intellect. Time, treasure and talent is what they call it.

Well, now I have more treasure. I’ve gone from time and talent to treasure — as we’ve lived our means have changed. I feel that we’re stewards of that as well. We’ve gotten it to give it.

My children always went to the libraries. I admired Andrew Carnegie and what he saw in libraries. Any community should have one — it’s just one of the most important assets, small or large.

 

Dr. Janet Robinson,  interim president, Lourdes University

Dr. Robinson, a Detroit native, started her careers as a nurse and went on to become an educator in the medical field; her compassion for her students has made her well-known among nursing students on Lourdes’ campus.

When I found out I won the Milestone, I was just ecstatic. I had a really busy day. It was like 6:30. I listened to the voicemail and we just started screaming and dancing.

The guy across the hall heard all this and never came out across the hall to figure out what it was.

I think you have to be yourself. I think you never do it for the fame, you do it because you want to make a difference in the world, one person at a time.

I come from a family of educators. My mother’s an educator, my sister, my grandmother, one of my children is. I think when you’re an educator you have a chance to transform people’s lives. And all of a sudden you’ve transformed one corner of the world.

I think women tend to naturally nurture people, and part of teaching is nurturing. I do think that for women leaders that become CEOs or college presidents, it’s different. Currently 75 percent of college and university presidents are male, and 25 percent are women, so it’s unusual. I think women make absolutely wonderful leaders. I’ve worked with great women, and I’ve worked with great men.

I think we need to tell young women, dream big. For years people have sort of said, think about being middle manager, instead of saying think about being president of the United States.

I had a vision and a dream, but I think I have the practical skills to make it happen.

I’m not confrontational but I hold people to the line.

In the graduate school class I taught, I said ‘I want to be really honest with you. I like you, you’re going to like me, we’re going to have fun. Do not mistake kindness for low standards. Because I think that you will find that I have higher standards than anybody else in the university.’

I do think if I can do anything well, it’s care about people.

 

Carolyn Putney, chief curator/curator of Asian art, the Toledo Museum of Art

Putney, a West Palm Beach, Florida native, arrived at the TMA in 1978 hoping to gain a few years of experience after graduate school and ended up making the city, and its museum, her permanent home. Her next project is a fall 2013 exhibition of Japanese prints originally curated by Dorothy Blair in the 1930s at the TMA, bringing the female curatorial presence full circle.

I just think that art so enriches our lives. I want people to get excited about it, particularly Asian art, which is sometimes difficult for people to access because people don’t have the background in it. I think I’ve opened that area up for people and maybe given them an appreciation they didn’t have before.

Toledo has an amazing group of women. I felt like I didn’t really deserve to be with that group of people. I was just thrilled to be nominated.

Art history, and particularly curatorial, was generally a man’s domain. And I think it’s ironic that we actually have equal numbers of women curators as we do men in the TMA. I still think women are becoming more and more engaged in the field.

The first piece I acquired was a Buddha. I was tremendously thrilled, if not frustrated, because I had never really negotiated a work of art before, so that was a challenge. But I thought that the work of art was so incredibly beautiful.

Some people are very, very earnest, other people you have the feeling are more wheeler dealer types, some are very scholarly. There can be very high stakes — it depends on you and knowing the collection.

I always go into it knowing that they’re asking too much. You never say okay to the first price you hear.

With our collections, we’re all trying to tell a story. You try and find things that are approachable, that people will have a connection to or be curious as to ‘Okay, what’s this about?’

It’s never old hat. It’s always exciting for me to acquire something. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have such a great job.

 

Teresa Fedor, State Representative, 45th District

As the oldest of seven children growing up in Point Place, Teresa Fedor never dreamed of a career in politics. But after time spent serving her country in both the military and in public education, she embarked on a career in government and has since become a tireless advocate for women in the fight against human trafficking. In June, her House Bill 262 was passed, enacting harsher penalties for human trafficking crimes.

Graduating from the University of Toledo with a degree, besides being a mom and a grandparent, is the most important milestone that is the foundation of where I am today.

My parents were very open about there being unlimited opportunities. We never talked about limits, or about gender limits. When I talk to women’s groups, I always say the most liberal person I knew about feminism was my father. In retrospect, that was such a gift.

The Vietnam War was a very big, illuminating issue for me in high school. I felt compelled to be a part of that, compelled to join the military. It was patriotism — my father was in the military, my uncle was in the Marines.

The military helped me see that I could do more than I thought I could. They saw more in me than I saw in myself.

I was on food stamps as a college student. I needed a hand up — it wasn’t a hand out. I come from that perspective. I needed that. Those were the bootstraps. That was there for me, and I paid taxes, and I needed it, and now I’m giving back.

My first thought coming into public life as an elected official was really reading and physical and health education. Equality for women. Economic opportunities. Then in 2005 the FBI did a sting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we found 177 victims. Over half of them were from Toledo. Many of them were under 18 and one of them was 10 years old. I took that personally — those were my babies that I’ve been fighting for. I was really outraged. And I wanted to know what could be done.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It’s just taken a long time for people to wrap those terminologies around their heads. Prostitution is not a victimless crime — it’s either done out of need or force. I can’t see focusing on education and these other issues if you’ve got a cancer in your culture and you’re not trying to cure it. If politicians can’t fix this, then they shouldn’t even be involved. It’s the human rights issue of our lifetime.

I saw a coffee cup at the art museum that really just hit me. I bought the cup — it’s a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: ‘Do one thing every day that scares you.’ And I said a ha, that’s me.

The cause that drives me is greater than the fear of failure.

 

Dr. Anne Ruch, OB/GYN, director SewHope, founder, Kids Against Hunger-Toledo

Dr. Anne Ruch photographed at the SewHope meeting base: the dining room of her Ottawa Hills home. The physician’s deep faith led her on a mission trip to Guatemala; her medical abilities drew her back countless times for outreach efforts among the country’s poorest, most afflicted communities in the Peten region.

I was born in Ireland and grew up in Queens. My parents never went past the 6th grade, but my dad was probably the smartest person I ever knew in my life. He was a huge believer in education. It was expected that you could do everything.

My mother always told me, make sure you’re independent.

It’s a dream job. You get to know your patients — it kind of spans the whole lifetime of a woman. Your patients become your best friends. And I think also, honestly, for me it’s almost like being in therapy, because you learn so much from people.

I was in church and the pastor announced one day that the church was going to Guatemala for outreach. It was 1998. I thought, as a doctor, I should go. The level of poverty was shocking. We were in Guatemala City, and we were going to a garbage dump, called la basura. We’re talking about the big things in life, and God, and getting to know each other, and all of a sudden we’re driving along and it started to stink. And you look out the window, and people are just lying on the floor looking half dead. And then you’re driving closer, and by the time you get to this place you just feel like you’re going to throw up. There were thousands of people living there. However you would picture hell, that’s what it looked like. I thought if there’s any God of any kind in this world, he did not create human beings to live like this.

They set us up to have a clinic at the recycling center next to this dump. There were just lines and lines of people. They will do anything to see you. So here I am, in a place I’ve never been before, I have absolutely no idea of their culture, no idea of their world view, I barely speak ten words of the language. I realized quickly that just making the trip on your own wouldn’t work.

At the time we decided to help we were working with a couple of missionary people in Guatemala that had their own little organization, and I think our idea was that initially we would support them. I wasn’t thinking at all what it would become. We picked on this region in Guatemala called Peten. Peten is about a third of Guatemala, and it was all jungle. It’s become one of those areas that’s completely deforested. It’s probably one of the most dangerous places in the world. And I’m so stubborn I said ‘We’ll go there.’

To give you an honest answer, I don’t think anybody does anything they don’t like to do. I think the truth is that I love this. I think that there is nothing better than being down there. [Guatemala is] probably one of the few things in my life I can say I have 100 percent trust that God is leading the way.

 


Mary Wyar, a high-top wearing, Wes Anderson-loving local photographer, shot the powerful women on these pages. When she’s not photographing the city’s inspirational females, she’s creating modern wedding imagery for area couples.
marywyarphotography.com.

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