For second-year Alaska WWAMI student Laura Aspelund, serving as co-lead of the Baby’s First Friends Service Learning Committee has been one of the most meaningful parts of her medical school journey.
Through this program at the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), student volunteers provide comfort care for newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Their role is simple yet profound: holding, soothing and spending time with infants when families cannot always be present.
“Welcoming a child is often one of life’s most joyful experiences, but it can also be incredibly stressful when health complications arise,” Aspelund explains. “Parents may be balancing work, childcare for siblings and long hospital stays. I’ve seen how meaningful it can be when volunteers step in to nurture their babies. Being able to support infants and their families in such vulnerable moments has been both humbling and deeply rewarding.”
The impact of Baby’s First Friends is felt on all sides—by families, by newborns and by the volunteers themselves. For medical students navigating the demands of coursework and clinical training, the NICU offers a grounding reminder of why they chose medicine in the first place.
Some moments that stand out vividly for Aspelund include seeing new mothers reuniting with their babies after recovering from their own health challenges, or the care team celebrating small milestones together.
For Aspelund, who hopes to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology, the experience has also offered a unique window into postnatal care and the collaboration required between multiple departments to support newborns and families. “This work has affirmed my desire to practice medicine in a way that honors both clinical excellence and compassionate care,” she reflects.
Volunteering in the NICU requires a significant commitment. Students undergo an extensive clearance process—including background checks, drug testing and other requirements—on top of their already rigorous schedules. But Aspelund believes the effort is more than worthwhile.
“Medical school can make it difficult to find time for community service, but stepping outside the classroom brings perspective and renewed motivation,” she says. “Programs like Baby’s First Friends remind us of why we chose this path—to care for people in some of their most vulnerable and transformative moments.”
Aspelund encourages her fellow Alaska WWAMI students to consider getting involved. “The opportunity to serve in this way is profoundly worthwhile,” she says.
For those interested in volunteering with the ANMC, either in the NICU or in other capacities, you can contact ANMC’s volunteer coordinator Roberta Miljure (rmiljure@anthc.org) to learn more about the process and available opportunities.