 JANUARY 02 • 2020 | 19

A 

trip to Israel to attend 
a cousin’
s wedding set 
the stage for a recent 
Oakland Community College 
graduate to ignite her own 
passions. Leia Serlin of West 
Bloomfield loved her expe-
rience in Israel so much that 
she vowed to go back and “do 
something good.” 

Upon her return, she 
began researching multiple 
volunteer opportunities and 
landed on Save a Child’
s Heart 
in Holon, Israel, about 20 
minutes from Tel Aviv. The 
Israeli-based, international 
nonprofit organization’
s mis-
sion is to improve the quality 
of pediatric cardiac care for 
children and train doctors to 
create centers of competence 
in developing countries. For 
many of these children, that 
includes the opportunity to 
receive life-changing surgery 
needed to repair an ailing 
heart. 
In her heart, she knew she 
could wield the knowledge 
and experience she gained at 
OCC and improve outcomes 
for children who endure 
life-saving surgery in under-

developed nations. 
This summer, Serlin spent 
more than two weeks working 
with children to help allay 
their fears and boost their 
spirits before and after heart 
surgery as a live-in volun-
teer at Save a Child’
s Heart 
children’
s home. Her efforts 
were arduous as the children 
represented a variety of coun-
tries and spoke many different 
languages, making it necessary 
to use things like interpretive 
dance and art therapy to help 
children understand her mes-
sage. 
“I was working with chil-
dren from Tanzania, Zanzibar 
and Kurdistan,” she said. 
“With the many language 
issues, I had to tap into things 
I learned in my art and psy-
chology classes at OCC to 
help me communicate without 
words.” 
Adapting to a different way 
of learning and communicat-
ing is something Serlin has 
experienced throughout her 
life as someone who has dys-
lexia. 
She was introduced to 
OCC after thriving at Eton 
Academy in Birmingham. 

She enrolled in Oakland 
Early College and, ultimate-
ly, earned both an associate 
degree in general arts and 
another in science this past 
spring. 
“I had a great experience at 
OCC,” she said. “They really 
provided me with a good edu-
cation and many opportuni-
ties to get involved in campus 
activities.” 
Those campus activities 
included participation in the 
Jewish Student Organization, 
serving as an OCC Student 
Ambassador and playing the 
role of Molly in OCC’
s theater 
production of Peter and the 
Star Catcher. 
Serlin is building on her 
academic experience and 
transferred to Albion College 
this fall to major in biochem-
istry and minor in kinesiolo-
gy. She understands education 
will dominate much of her life 
in the next two years; yet she 

will balance her desire to help 
others with plans to volunteer 
again next summer with Save 
a Child’
s Heart and continue 
her work for children in need. 
“Many of the children are 
underdeveloped and frail due 
to their heart conditions, so 
they really need support and 
encouragement to get through 
their surgery,” she said. 
“Staying with the children 
and helping raise their spirits 
was an incredible experience. 
I plan to stay longer next year 
so I can provide even more 
support for these brave chil-
dren.” 
As someone who has faced 
a personal challenge head-on 
and succeeded, Serlin is pas-
sionate about channeling her 
experience to help those who 
are less fortunate overcome 
their fears of surgery so they, 
too, can have a better life. 

This story was issued by Oakland 
Community College.

Jews in the D

Helping Others

OCC graduate gives back by working with 
Israeli children needing cardiac care.

Leia Serlin at work 
in Holon, Israel, 
with the Save 
a Child’
s Heart 
organization

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