Closing the Gap Between Equipment and Need

As a high school student who aspired for a career in medicine, I started volunteering in clinics since my sophomore year. I’ve worked at several facilities, including Memorial Hermann Hospital, City Medical Center, and nearby clinics. Every place taught me how much care depends on the right equipment, and on people knowing where to find help.

One afternoon on my street, I saw a nearly new wheelchair and a motorized medical bed sitting by the curb on bulk trash day. I later learned that a family had lost someone who never really got to use them. I thought about bringing them to someone who needed them, but I didn’t have the courage to pick them up. That same weekend, at the clinic, an elderly woman was struggling to find out how to get a wheelchair and a bed for her husband. “We can’t afford them. We don’t have insurance.” Her words stayed with me.

I started seeing the same problem everywhere. Some families have wheelchairs, walkers, or shower chairs sitting unused, while a neighbor across town needs one and can’t afford it. Many uninsured people I met didn’t know that affordable clinics were close by.

So I started building iMediShare, a free platform where people can give pre-owned medical equipment to neighbors who need it, and find affordable clinics close to home. I didn’t want to just notice the problem.

My goal is simple: make sure useful equipment gets used, and make sure people know where to turn for care.

Qamar Sayyed
Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions
Houston, TX