Mijke de Groot has been working at LEEFH since last summer. "I answer initial questions, explain to people how FH research works, and send out test kits." When questions become more detailed, Mijke asks her colleague Sabine to assist. "It's incredible how much I'm learning here," says Mijke enthusiastically. "I don't have a medical background, but I find the work at LEEFH very interesting."
Fashion and clothing
Mijke studied Fashion and Clothing. "It was great fun, of course," she says. "But to earn a living in that field, you have to be really good. I don't think I am." Modesty is a virtue, and LEEFH is lucky, because Mijke is a very good office manager for the organization. After completing her Fashion and Clothing studies, Mijke went on to study Human Resources. "I worked in the HR department of a large IT company for a while," says Mijke. "But when the company went into crisis, I started to enjoy my work less. It was hard for me to accept that I had a good relationship with my colleagues and that we had to say goodbye to so many people."
You don't want your son to collapse on the soccer field, do you?
Saving people
Her experiences at LEEFH have been entirely positive. "My work is varied. Every now and then, I hop on my bike to pick up test results at the AMC, I do a lot of administrative work, and I have a lot of contact with people on the phone. I enjoy reassuring people. Informing them about FH and pointing out how important it is that their children are also tested." Mijke emphasizes the importance of having children tested. "It's so valuable for children to be tested in time. I often talk to people on the phone who don't immediately see the importance of this." Mijke is very clear about this to the people she talks to. She herself is the mother of two beautiful boys and can't bear to think that something might happen to them. "You don't want your son to collapse on the soccer field, do you?" she says. And then: "That's terrible. When I've been able to convince someone to get tested, I sometimes think: there you go. Another family saved. You're really saving people at LEEFH."
Call Mijke!
Mijke enjoys the administrative work at LEEFH. She also believes it is important that LEEFH continues to exist as an organization because this work is so important. "Meaningful work adds value. I feel really good about this. I have really nice conversations on the phone with people where I can convey the value of the research. I sometimes talk to physician assistants who don't know what FH is. For me, it's a victory when I've been able to educate someone." And if you have children who don't want to be tested for FH, let them call Mijke. "I would love to talk to them."
Share
Share this article
