Jerwin Capuras, RN, awarded Presidential Award for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas

February 26, 2021

Our heartiest congratulations to Jerwin Capuras, RN and former MCI Scholar, for his extraordinary dedication and service leading to his being nominated for the [Philippines] President’s Award. The award recognizes those who have made excellent contributions to their profession and community, as demonstrated by their years of service and their distinctive accomplishments. Nursing is a calling, a calling that requires one to be passionate in caring, generous in loving, and able to empower patients with confidence to take charge of their own health. There is no greater calling than to serve our fellow humans. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak and needy. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done all this well. In truth, Jerwin Capuras has demonstrated these strengths. In whatever he does, he does it well. He deserve such a distinguished Award.

There is no limit to doing for others. Every Tree is made up of wood. A tree is differentiated by its fruit, and people are differentiated by their works, service, and deeds. The purpose of life is to be useful, to be compassionate, to make a difference in our community and our world, indicating that we have lived and lived well. Becoming a nurse is one of the most noble, selfless acts a person can undertake, especially when called upon to work in pandemics, in conflict zones, and in traumatic situations as well as to undertake surgeries in the midst of danger to the health care worker and others. Nurses are there when the first breath is taken, especially in the Kenema District, where saving a baby is a miracle, and nurses are there when the last breath is taken, by health or by hazard. Jerwin serves in the world’s most difficult places, such as in Sudan, in Sierra Leone, in Myanmar with the Rohinga Muslim refugees, and off the coast of Benin in Africa. Currently, he is the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Team Supervisor, serving with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Hardship often prepares a person for extraordinary things. A society, is composed of multiple races, cultures, beliefs, and customs, but nurses are a universal gift to all of us. The work they do should serve as a reminder of the fundamental humanity inside every one of us. The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. Thank you, Jerwin, for always leading by example!