Co-Founders: Dr. Elliany Lantigua & Dr. Pedro Gonzalez
Project Lead: Andrea Sotomayor
PPF Project Since: 2021
Website: https://healthcometruefoundation.org/
Health Come True Foundation, originally known as the Yale International Clinic, began as a studentled initiative at Yale School of Medicine. Two young doctors training at Yale, Dr. Elianny Lantigua, a native of the Dominican Republic, and Dr. Pedro Gonzalez, a native of Puerto Rico, shared a bold vision: to tackle global healthcare challenges, starting with children in the most underserved communities of the Dominican Republic. Around the time Hurricane Irma struck Puerto Rico, Yale Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Marietta Vázquez, now the foundation’s Chief Medical Officer, brought Andrea Sotomayor on board. Recognizing the profound potential to transform young lives, Andrea joined the effort to help fund and build the initiative, pairing the team’s clinical vision with a strong business foundation. In 2019, the team hosted its first free pediatric and dental clinic in the village of Gualey-Pizarrete, establishing what would become a lasting medical mission.
Health Come True’s mission is to give underserved children access to essential healthcare and health education, empowering them to become positive change-makers in their own communities. The foundation believes every child, regardless of economic status, deserves free medical, dental, and mental healthcare, along with essential medications and education on disease prevention. Looking ahead, its vision is to carry the Health Come True clinic model beyond the Dominican Republic, partnering with medical professionals from top medical schools to reach underserved communities around the world. Its work is guided by five values: Unity, Education, Commitment, Compassion, and Transparency.
When searching for a partner to support and scale their humanitarian healthcare efforts, the Health Come True team chose PPF because of its trust, stellar reputation, and ease of transaction. Joining PPF approximately two years after their initial launch allowed the foundation to establish immediate 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. With PPF handling the complex backend compliance, reporting, and tax requirements, the foundation unlocked crucial tax incentives for corporate donors and partners.
"Having PPF as a fiscal sponsor has enabled us to offer tax incentives to our donors, which has helped us acquire more partners and focus on our mission.”
Bringing the clinic to life in Gualey-Pizarrete required navigating significant funding hurdles from day one. Unlike many service-trip organizations, Health Come True made the intentional decision not to charge volunteers large participation fees; volunteers cover only their own travel and lodging. Instead, the annual clinics are 100% funded through partnerships with medical companies, corporate sponsors, friends, and family. Because the team is entirely volunteer-led, fundraising dollars go directly to the communities served: every $20 raised treats one child. Each clinic spans four days, opening with a volunteer training seminar, followed by two days of health and dental care, and closing with a reflection and debrief. Through persistence, grassroots fundraising, and structured partnerships, the founding team turned an initial medical relief trip into an annual, highly anticipated community health clinic.
What started with just 35 passionate volunteers has grown into an incredible movement of over 400+ volunteers delivering life-changing care!
The most meaningful outcome of the foundation’s work is witnessing the children of Gualey grow healthier, happier, and stronger year after year. The annual clinic has evolved into a vibrant community gathering where hundreds of children receive essential pediatric checkups, treatments, and dental procedures. Families across the village look forward to the team’s arrival every year, building deep bonds of trust and care that span generations.
As the foundation’s medical clinics expanded, having PPF as a reliable operational backbone proved essential. PPF manages the rigorous reporting, tax preparation, and non-profit compliance that international and medical initiatives require. By lifting the administrative and fiscal burdens, PPF enables the Health Come True leadership team to dedicate their energy to coordinating medical supplies, managing logistics, and organizing hundreds of medical volunteers.
"Reporting, tax prep, and compliance support from PPF have been essential. I’ve shared and recommended PPF with other organizations over the years.”
“Nonprofits should operate just like any business. The more structured and policy-driven a project is, the higher its chances of long-term success. Passion can get things off the ground, but process and a scalable foundation are what make them last.”
Join the growing community of mission-driven projects that trust PPF to handle the administrative details while they focus on making an impact.
