MJ Gutierrez
Easing the anxiety – How her LifePath Buddy went above and beyond
The night her family arrived in the U.S. is one MJ Gutierrez remembers well. Severe thunderstorms caused their flight to Colorado to be canceled and diverted to Texas. After lengthy delays they finally boarded a connecting flight to Springfield, Missouri.
It was late, dark and raining. Their final destination was another 46 miles away by car and unfamiliar. But they were never alone.
“They waited for us in the airport. They didn’t actually sleep,” MJ says, referring to Buddy Goldammer, president, LifePath Health Careers and Janet Pepito-Lardizabal of the LifePath team. “They are friends. Buddy and Miss Janet were there step by step and took care of us.
“Before we left, I was having trouble getting plane tickets for my husband and daughter – my credit card was not working. Buddy actually let me borrow his credit card. Who would do that? Like, oh my gosh, thank you for the trust.”
MJ says the LifePath team got them a hotel for the night and the next day they got their car and had their apartment waiting for them. They made sure they had help getting new phones.
MJ Gutierrez with her husband, Ace and daughter, Cassie, arrive at the Springfield, Missouri airport, March 2021.
“We even got $500 to buy groceries. Everything was smooth and settled when we got here,” she says.
MJ says there was much anxiety and fear associated with her decision to move her family to the U.S. to further her nursing career. She and her husband, Ace, wanted a better life for themselves, their daughter, Cassie and now baby Sophia, born in 2022.
“It was really hard, especially leaving your family, your mom and your siblings,” she recalls. “I think what scared me was the documents that I need to prepare and the questions that will be asked by the immigration officers and getting their approval to let us leave the Philippines. That’s what made me so anxious.”
LifePath’s legal team eased MJ’s anxiety about immigration, preparing all the paperwork for MJ and her family, including airline tickets and passports.
“I just followed what they instructed us to do,” MJ says. “Whatever questions I have in mind, I just need to ask. They’re always there.”
MJ says Buddy still calls to check in on them and make sure they are doing well. She says the genuine caring and personal service they experienced made LifePath Health Careers stand out.
“When I hear from other nurses who came here having trouble with getting their own phone, their apartment, their car – I didn’t have those problems,” MJ says. “Everything was smooth. Everything was waiting for me. I’m so grateful. (Buddy) is the reason we trusted LifePath. He has a good heart and pure intentions. He wants to help Filipino nurses.”
