When prompted at age 7 what Salena Gallardo wanted to be when she was older, the answer was always clear: a doctor.
The desire to help those who were in pain, and alleviate their suffering, was always present within her. As a current undergraduate student-athlete at California State University, San Marcos, her dream has not diminished—instead, now it holds a more realistic and imminent meaning. She wouldn’t trade the long practices, all-nighters spent studying for exams, or hours of volunteering for anything, she says—because she knows every second of hard work she put in now will mean more lives saved.
“I’m supporting stem cell research because we’re morally obligated to stick up for individuals battling disease.”
Salena says that every morning, she wakes up blessed to live a healthy life. However, she is constantly aware of the pain of those around her who are suffering from life threatening diseases. Witnessing the struggles of patients and their loved ones, and hearing their stories of the constant battles they face, have inspired her to help fight for cures. She wants to do everything in her power to spread awareness, and to advocate for those who are unable to do so themselves. She is dedicated to contributing to the journey of finding biological cures which could alter—and save—countless patients’ lives. Stem cells are a key element that keep the fight—the hope—strong in us all, she says.
In her role as an Americans for Cures Patient Advocate Ambassador, she is a driving force in the effort to alert the public to all of the possibilities stem cells provide, and to give hope to everyone.
She continues to work hard to fulfill her 7-year-old self’s aspirations: to become a successful scientist in the field of biomedicine.