Kaylee Fisher is a medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the President of GW’s Heroes for Heroes D.C. (H4HDC) student club, where she leads efforts to connect fellow medical students with the superhero volunteering community in the D.C. area.

Originally from a farm town in Upstate New York and a proud Columbia University alum, Kaylee first found her passion for pediatric outreach during undergrad in New York City when she researched the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child developmental milestones.

Now she volunteers with H4HDC dressed as Cinderella, but she can quickly shapeshift into Elsa depending on whoever the kids decide she looks most like that day. Whether it’s a princess gown or another magical disguise, Kaylee is passionate about bringing joy, empathy, and imagination to young patients facing tough battles.

Her work with H4HDC reminds her daily why she chose a career in medicine: to care for the whole person, not just the illness, and to remind kids (and grown-ups!) that even in a hospital room, a little bit of magic can go a long way.

Timothy Joo hails from the beautiful state of Colorado and is a first-year medical student at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.  When he was 5 years old, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, for him and his family the surgeon successfully removed the cancer., but that moment in time left quite the impact.  His Mom's doctor was Tim's real-life superhero, and it was then that he decided he wanted to be a surgeon one day and have the chance to save someone’s Mother that way that the surgeon saved his.

Around the same time, Tim fell in love with art. He learned to draw from looking at illustrations of various comic books artists like Jim Lee and famous medical illustrators like Dr. Netter. He became the Med school's resident artist and used art to help others. When he was asked to sketch a new wheelchair design for a person with multiple sclerosis it reinvigorated his love of art and medicine. He led an artistic engineering project where he developed a fun and interactive curriculum for the children at Children’s Hospital that didn’t have access to typical classroom education. This is where Tim discovered his passion for pediatrics and decided to join HeroesforHeroesDC. Now, after 21 years, Tim finally gets his chance at being someone's hero himself; as the web slinging friendly neighborhood spiderman.   

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to volunteer and be a part of HeroesforHeroesDC. The passion of the team and everyone behind the organization reminds me of how hopeful that surgeon made our family in the midst of a scary situation. It reminds me of the best parts of medicine and humanity.” 

Anshu Punreddy is a medical student within Community and Urban Health at George Washington University. She developed a passion for the pediatric field at an early age due to her work with children as a tutor, camp counselor, basketball coach, and more recently a volunteer for children and families facing homelessness. Her experiences have demonstrated to her the sheer strength and resilience of children. She has seen firsthand how simple acts of kindness can be hugely impactful on these amazing kids. 

“When I first heard about this organization at the GW club fair, I knew I had to be a part of it. From the visits I’ve had at Children’s National, I have already been touched by the smiles, laughter, and tears of the children and their parents when they are invited to join our superhero team. I am excited to expand the club and bring the kids a ‘whole new world’ of imagination and hope”.