How an acclaimed social entrepreneur is helping save orphaned children

When a few team members of Ovi Healthcare in Kenya chanced upon QQ*, the four-year-old was in a pitiable state. Wearing a ragged pink dress and clenching a dried corn cob, he weighed less than 10 pounds and looked no more than four months old.

Severely malnourished and neglected, the team feared whether he would survive. But thanks to generous doses of TLC, not only did the little boy survive but has grown to thrive. After months of intensive care at the center, QQ is now playful, charming, and intuitive, and has learned to walk, talk, and complete all age-appropriate activities of daily living independently.

‘Since rescuing QQ, we have also been able to take in three of his siblings; the younger two are still under our care, while QQ and his little sister are living with a loving local family,’ says Iza Correll, Founder and CEO of Ovi Healthcare.

QQ is just one of the many lives that Iza and her team have saved in the short span of six years that she set up her centre in Kenya. Her mission is pretty straight forward ‘to end suffering of abandoned orphaned children in the world.’

But then Iza has always had big dreams. Growing up in a small town called Somerset in Kentucky, her biggest inspiration was her mother Elizabeth, who, despite battling advanced cancer from the time Iza was 5 years old, committed her entire life to raising her and her sisters. Add to that the work ethics instilled by her father Charles, Iza always knew her calling would be in the field of compassionate service.

‘As a child, my mother taught us to make disaster kits for victims of horrific abuse, natural disasters, or other tragedies. We would also visit older people in nursing homes and bring them thoughtful holiday gifts or spend evenings telling them stories, playing music, and board games.

‘Giving back and showing love to those who were lonely or in need was always central to who we were as a family,’ she recalls.

After her under graduation at Western Kentucky University Mahurin Honors College she began seeking a career in medicine serving a vulnerable population. ‘One day I literally typed in medical opportunities in Africa, and stumbled upon a program that was run by some Kenyans. I was 20 years old. I just got on a plane and went,’ says Iza. That was 11 years ago.

While volunteering in Kenya she encountered numerous abandoned children who had no access to healthcare. That journey inspired her to become a physician assistant which she attained through a master’s program from the College of Health Sciences in UK.

Returning to Migori, Kenya, she obtained her clinical officer license and by December 2017, opened a 60-bed hospital for children up to age 18.

The non-profit hospital, which is locally staffed, provides free care for children. She named her business OVI Healthcare after her late nephew Ovidio (known as Ovi) who died when he was 4.

‘My sister Sarah volunteered at an orphanage for two years, where she fell in love with an orphaned boy named Ovidio. She had just taken steps to move forward with his formal adoption in Guatemala. Tragically, while she was on a short trip to visit my family in the US, the orphanage placed Ovi in a temporary foster home where, in just two weeks, he was dead.

‘His devastating passing inspired us to use our hospital to provide free healthcare to orphans and vulnerable children and advocate for their absolute protection.’ says Iza.

To date they have rescued countless children who were in dire and life-threatening situations, and they honor Ovi’s legacy by understanding the dangers and vulnerabilities of being a fragile child in an institutionalized setting.

The focus of Ovi Healthcare is not just on wellness, but on stabilizing children and then reintegrating them with their families when possible.

In addition to the hospital, Ovi conducts remote medical camps around Kenya each week where up to 500 children can get treated at a time.

‘Our mission is a world where no child is alone. We offer treatment and 100 per cent free medical care – everything from life-saving care, ICU, neonatal intensive care to outpatient care,’ says Iza.

Iza’s list of success in helping needy children is a long one. One of the children, NN*, was found suffering from acute organ failure and in a diabetic coma. He was being held at a rural hospital without administration of any necessary treatment, including insulin, because he did not have relatives to pay the medical bills.

After three years under intensive, long-term care at the facility, he is now discharged, and top of his class at the neighboring public school, says Iza. ‘He loves imagining new projects and continues to manage his diabetic diet, blood sugar readings, and overall health and well-being with only the need for check-ups at our facility.

‘He dreams of becoming an airplane engineer who uses his earnings to build homes and educate orphans. He also plans to publish magazines about protecting our wildlife and natural resources.’

Another child, SS*, suffered from a stroke during an episode of complicated meningitis. This left him unable to eat, and his body wasted away. Locals feared the child was cursed, and his father sold everything he had, including their home, to pay for the failed treatments. When Iza found him, he was struggling and in extremely poor health.

After years of intensive treatment and therapy, SS has gone from primary goals of breathing, feeding, and controlling pain to eating full meals, sitting on his own, and sharing sweet memories back home with his loving father.

CC* was a total orphan bedridden with a massive neck tumor that was causing severe discomfort and trial to his daily life. He was weak, unable to attend school, and lost hope of returning.

After years of fighting and receiving intensive bi-monthly chemotherapy sessions for his Hodgkin lymphoma. His neck mass is completely gone, and he is declared 100% cancer free and is smiling bigger and brighter than ever before.

CC is now attending school and is dedicated to his dreams of attending medical school and curing children with cancer. ‘Best of all, he is now united with his loving grandmother, who adores and supports him in every way,’ adds Iza.

Iza’s hard work has been recognized around the world. In October 2020, she became the youngest recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship among fellow laureates US President Jimmy Carter, Michael J Fox, and Christina Aguilera. ‘To be the youngest person to win that, was life changing. Lonnie Ali told me I reminded her a lot of her husband. That meant even more to me than the award itself,’ she says.

In 2021, she received the Champion in Global Humanitarian Service Award at the Prodigy Bureau Global Gala in Dubai. She was also inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences Hall of Fame.

Iza is the sole parent and legal guardian to seven-year-old Lily and two-and-a half-year-old Winter Rose. Both the girls lost their mothers to illnesses just a few months after birth and have since been in Iza’s care. ‘They are my only family here in Kenya, and I adore them with my entire being. Without their light, I could not imagine how different and challenging this journey would have been,’ she says.

Iza draws inspiration from Walt Disney for his passion and drive for creating a magical world and movement centered around giving people a pure experience of childlike joy and wonder. ‘His values of creativity, intentionality, warmth, and impact have inspired my approach to creating a magical impact experience for our organization and supporters,’ she says.

Currently she is also pursuing her studies as a Doctor of Medical Science in Global Health which she hopes to complete by 2024.

A magical moment in her life was when she met my fiancé Rached on a long-haul flight from Doha to New York. ‘I never expected to meet someone so special on a plane, but I’m learning that God has hidden the brightest pieces of our soul all over the world if we are attentive and willing to go find them,’ she says.

And then, there’s Hellen, the hospital administrator who Iza terms as the heartbeat of Ovi. Iza met her when she was working as a cook at the hospital where she volunteered on her first trip to Kenya. ‘Her positive energy and contagious smile brightened up the entire room, and I instantly knew that she was a special person. Over time, we became close friends, and I learned that Hellen was much more than just a cook. She was an incredible leader, influential mentor, and a strong advocate for all. Her passion for her work was palpable, and it inspired me to open OVI Children’s Hospital with her as my guiding force and partner in the mission,’ she says.

Her aim is to partner with international organizations such as the UN and the WHO, as well as humanitarians and influential individuals from diverse backgrounds, to advance her movement and create new policies that assure protection, advocacy, and critical healthcare services for all children.

‘I plan to invest my entire heart into our children and their experience at our hospital and use their victories to inspire others to do the same. Lastly, I want to use my affinity for public speaking to bring my story to light and to urge others to prioritize global health equity for paediatric populations.’