The Inn’s Learning Center Sets Families Up for Success

19-year-old Naomi earned a GED while fighting sickle cell anemia

The Children’s Inn at NIH provides a free “Place Like Home” for children, teens, and young adults coming to NIH to participate in groundbreaking clinical trials. These families come to The Inn full of hope for cures to rare and serious diseases that, in many cases, they have dealt with for their entire lives. While a family’s primary goal is improving their health, The Inn’s Learning Center ensures that other goals – like getting an education and starting a career – are not forgotten.

Cristian Lemus serves as The Inn’s Family Program Coordinator in Education and runs the Learning Center, a quiet and cheerful space off the main lobby of The Inn. In addition to serving as a tutor himself, Lemus coordinates a team of volunteers – many of whom are retired K-12 educators – who work with residents on specific subjects ranging from general elementary education to advanced degrees. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Learning Center staff have an open-door policy and work with residents individually to best serve their educational needs.

“Our residents have to take a lot of pauses in their education due to their circumstances, so we try to bridge those gaps,” explained Lemus. “That’s my goal – to bridge the gaps, especially for our young adults who are missing that high school diploma. We still have to consider their future. So, while they’re here, why not make that a positive impact and ensure that they are achieving their goals for their future.”

One such resident is Naomi, a 19-year-old whose family is originally from the Congo and has most recently lived in South Africa. Naomi was born with sickle cell anemia, a disorder that impacts red blood cells and can lead to sudden and severe pain crises, stroke, lung problems, and kidney disease, among other complications. Despite that, she persevered through her schooling until she was accepted into a bone marrow transplant research study through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

“I was in my last couple months of high school back in South Africa,” Naomi remembered. “I kept getting sick before taking my final exams, and my teachers were worried about me. My doctors emailed NIH to see [when I could go], because I was doing really bad. I had to drop out of school, and I was stressed about it because I wanted to finish before I came.”

Naomi arrived in the United States in September 2023 and spent the next four months living with family in Washington, DC. Though focused on maintaining her health and strength, Naomi learned about the General Educational Development (GED) program for people who want to earn a high school equivalency diploma without graduating from high school from her aunt. It was an intriguing option – maybe her educational journey wouldn’t have to be postponed after all – but figuring out how to get started felt overwhelming.

Upon arrival at The Inn, Naomi quickly discovered the Learning Center and realized that Lemus and the volunteers could guide her through the process of pursuing her GED. She also learned about The Inn’s Innrichment Program, which allows residents access to educational funding. Through it, she was able to have her GED classes paid for.

“I started studying in March,” Naomi recounted. “My transplant was scheduled for April, but then it was moved back to July. So, I had four or five months of uninterrupted work. It was a perfect time for me to study and write.”

Education had always been important to Naomi, and her family knew the GED program would prove perfect for her. But the eagerness with which she attacked the schoolwork and the plan she laid out for herself surprised even them.

“My family expected me to do it after the transplant, but there were too many months of just doing nothing,” Naomi laughed. “I don’t like the stagnation of not doing anything, so when I came here, I decided I was here to study.”

Naomi also devoted time to programs such as Art with Dave, a weekly art studio open to Inn residents of all ages. She had always loved art and hopes to pursue a studio art degree in college. The Innrichment Fund and volunteers like Dave helped that passion flourish at The Inn.

“Naomi planned to use her Innrichment funds to pay for her GED classes, but she also has some additional money that can support her for an enriching activity such as music or dancing,” Lemus explained. “Anything that is enriching to her life would qualify.”

Working with Dave, Naomi created a large art piece that she donated to The Inn’s An Evening for Hope gala auction. It sold at the event last April, an achievement that makes her beam with pride.

Though she could not quite complete the GED requirements before her transplant, Naomi resumed them as quickly as her doctors would allow. In September, almost exactly a year after she arrived in the United States, her hard work was rewarded when she earned her GED.

With members of her family currently pursuing college degrees in Canada, Naomi has a new goal to join them. First, though, she plans to stay in the Washington area to continue the next step of her education. “I have my GED, but the rest of my high school grades are in South Africa,” she said. “It would be easier to study here for the first two years and be close to my medical team, and then I can transfer to a [four-year] college.”

Like any other young people, the children, teens, and young adults who come to The Children’s Inn have hopes and dreams that go beyond their health. Thanks to The Inn’s Learning Center, those educational dreams do not have to be put on hold during their time at NIH.

To learn more about the Learning Center and volunteer opportunities, contact Cristian Lemus at [email protected].